After Rs 16,700 crore Deal, RCB Owners Want To Talk To Virat Kohli

Renowned American companies buying stakes in legacy franchises like RCB and Rajasthan Royals validates how these investors view the IPL as the "highest growth sports opportunity in the world", Times Internet Limited chairman Satyan Gajwani said on Friday. Recent ownership changes in the Indian Premier League reflect a significant surge in its commercial value, with teams now trading at billion-dollar valuations that cement its status as a top-tier global sports event.

"As you would have seen, there were multiple international parties interested in the teams through the process. It is great validation for the IPL and WPL's success to date and their promise and trajectory ahead. Many of these investors see the IPL as the highest growth sports opportunity around the world today," Gajwani, RCB's new co-owner, told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Gajwani is part of the consortium comprising the Aditya Birla Group, the Times Group, David Blitzer's Bolt Group, and American private equity firm Blackstone's BXPE, which bought a 100 percent stake in RCB for USD 1.78 billion (Rs 16,700 crore) from United Spirits Limited.

The Rajasthan Royals consortium includes Walmart owner Rob Walton-who also owns the NFL team Denver Broncos-and Sheila Ford Hamp (from the Ford family), the principal owner of the Detroit Lions. The RCB consortium also includes David Blitzer, the owner of NBA giants Philadelphia 76ers.

Gajwani, who will be the vice-chairman once the new owners take over, spoke on a range of issues including whether the winning bid was a steal, how the four companies came together, and his discussions with the men's team's biggest icon, Virat Kohli, about a successful collaboration going forward.

Was the price-less than USD 2 billion-a steal?

"The media has reported the value to be a 'steal' of sorts given the pricing. Pricing is always subjective. It is a strong price for a strong franchise, and I think both the buyers and sellers are happy with the outcome," Gajwani said.

Times Group was also interested in Rajasthan Royals . Gajwani revealed that the Times Group was also interested in acquiring Rajasthan Royals.

"Yes, we evaluated both franchises closely. They are different and have their own sets of pros and cons. We are extremely happy with the outcome of the process."

Gajwani feels that each member of the consortium will bring something unique to the table in the coming years.

Asked how he, Aryaman Birla, the Bolt Group and Blackstone came together, he said it had a lot to do with each entity complementing the others.

"Each of us independently had interest in the opportunity. Over the course of the bidding process, we came to know each other better-our respective goals-and we found them to be complementary.

"Every member brings something unique to the table: industrial heft, media and cricket depth, global sports expertise, and deep financial acumen. It's a powerful combination."

While he didn't want to get into the details of how the consortium arrived at the buying price of USD 1.78 billion, he lauded the BCCI for creating a property capable of commanding such a premium.

"Can't go into the specifics of the numbers, but generally speaking, we believe the IPL and WPL have substantial room for growth, whether by way of media rights or in terms of developing franchise-specific opportunities to engage more closely with fans.

"A lot of credit should go to the BCCI for how they've built this property. It is to their credit that the IPL is among the world's most sought-after leagues today."

Once the deal is complete, discussions with Virat will follow

For the past 18 seasons, Kohli has been integral to RCB's identity, and Gajwani fully acknowledges that. Once the new owners sign the deal, they plan to hold extensive discussions with the legendary former India skipper to understand his vision going forward.

"Virat is an iconic player, and we're grateful to be able to partner with him. When the deal finally gets completed, I'm sure we will have close conversations with him and his team to understand their goals and objectives, and how we can collaboratively drive success for all involved," he said.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru derives its name from the UB Group's alcoholic beverage brand. After Diageo acquired the franchise-being in the alcoholic beverage business themselves-they retained the name. When asked whether the new consortium might consider changing it, Gajwani hinted there would be no change to the name, as the brand has been "extremely strong".

"Our attitude today is that the franchise-its brand, its performance both on and off the pitch-has been extremely strong, and so our default position is to support the team, its vision, its approach, and its execution as they've done to date."

Experience of running MLC did come in handy

While Major League Cricket (MLC) in America is still in its infancy, operating it has helped the group understand the economic intricacies associated with franchise cricket.

"The IPL and MLC are very different. The MLC is about growing cricket in a market where most of the country is not aware of the sport; the IPL is about capitalising on perhaps the most important consumer engagement touchpoint in India. Same sport, very different circumstances," he signed off

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2026 Cricket