Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ownership transfer process gained momentum on Thursday when Adar Poonawalla said he is going to make a “strong and competitive” bid for the Indian Premier League (IPL) team. Royal Challengers are the current IPL champions and their team probably has the most fans among the 10 teams of the league. “In the coming months, I will present a strong and competitive bid for RCB, one of the best teams in the IPL,” Adar Poonawala, CEO of Pune-based vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India, wrote on his official ‘X’ handle.
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He, however, did not share details such as the bid timeline or potential amount. This process will have to be completed soon as the start of IPL 2026 is proposed from March 26. The process of finding a new owner for RCB (worth about $105 million according to ‘Forbes India’) started in November last year. Current owner United Spirits Limited (USL) is behind the initiative. USL is the Indian arm of global beverages company Diageo.
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The stampede that took place on June 4 during RCB’s victory celebrations left 11 fans dead. After this, the process of sale of the team was expedited. United Spirits had acquired RCB from its original owner after the collapse of Vijay Mallya’s business empire in 2016. Poonawalla’s statement has come at a time when there is speculation that RCB may play its home matches out of Bengaluru in IPL 2026. Pune, Mumbai and Raipur have asked the franchise to host seven home matches. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) on Wednesday requested the RCB management to keep the home matches in Bengaluru and cited the improvements made in security and facilities at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In response, RCB said, “There are some issues which need further consideration.” We are considering the suggestions and aspects received from all the stakeholders, so that a responsible decision can be taken in the interest of the team and our fans. Apart from Poonawalla, Vijay Kiragandur’s company Hombale Films is also considered to be in the race for the ownership of RCB. Hombale Films is the producer of superhit films like ‘KGF’ and ‘Kantara’. No official statement has been issued in this regard so far.
