After RCB, Another IPL Franchise Put On Sale As Valuations Soar: Report

As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) continue to look for a new buyer, another Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise has reportedly been put on sale. Harsh Goenka, the brother of Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka, revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Rajasthan Royals have also been put on sale by their owners. At present, the franchise is owned by the Royals Sports Group (Emerging Media Sporting Holdings Limited), which holds a 65% stake. Some minority stakes are held by Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capital Partners.

"I hear, not one, but two IPL teams are now up for sale- RCB and RR. It seems clear that people want to cash in the rich valuations today. So two teams for sale and 4/5 possible buyers! Who will be the successful buyers- will it be from Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru or USA?," he wrote on X.

I hear, not one, but two IPL teams are now up for sale- RCB and RR. It seems clear that people want to cash in the rich valuations today. So two teams for sale and 4/5 possible buyers! Who will be the successful buyers- will it be from Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru or USA?

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) November 27, 2025

RCB Want USD 2 Billion To Sell Franchise

Reports suggest that Diageo, parent company of United Spirits Limited, is seeking a valuation of around USD 2 billion for RCB. The sports business accounted for 8.3 percent of the company's total profit in the last financial year ending March 31, 2025. There are reports that vaccine king Adar Poonawalla is interested in securing the sports business. While the sale is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026, the franchise will be seen bidding for players and participating in the WPL auction on November 27.

In a communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Wednesday, Diageo called it a 'Strategic Review of the Investment Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd (RCSPL),' a wholly owned company of United Spirits Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of Diageo.

"United Spirits Ltd. ("USL") is initiating a strategic review of the investment in its wholly owned subsidiary, RCSPL. RCSPL's business comprises ownership of the "Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)" franchise teams that participate in the Men's Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women's Premier League (WPL) cricket tournaments hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annually," the company stated in the disclosure.

Most importantly, the disclosure said it 'expected the process will conclude by March 31st, 2026.'

Topics mentioned in this article

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Rajasthan Royals Cricket