RCB Valued At Rs 17,637 Crore? Lalit Modi Says "They Would Be Stupid..."
IPL founder Lalit Modi has addressed the rumours of the sale of defending champions RCB.
- IPL founder Lalit Modi values Royal Challengers Bengaluru at two billion dollars currently
- Lalit Modi predicted RCB's valuation rise by half a billion dollars annually
- "If RCB does want to sell, they would be stupid to sell it for less than 2 billion dollars," said Lalit Modi
Lalit Modi, the former commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL), has addressed the rumours of the sale of defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Speaking to former Australia captain Michael Clarke on Beyond 23 Podcast, the 61-year-old suggested that RCB are worth two billion dollars currently, and that their evaluation will only grow in the coming years. The IPL founder also shared his views on the stampede at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, suggesting that it was an unfortunate incident.
"We (IPL) are only 18 years old. We have just started the fan following, we have just started the frenzy. It was unfortunate what happened with the stampede in Karnataka after RCB won. But you will see that passion grow across the country, across the world," said Lalit Modi.
Lalit Modi quipped that if the current RCB owners want to sell the franchise, doing so for anything under 2 billion dollars would be a 'stupid' move.
"If RCB does want to sell, they would be stupid to sell it for less than 2 billion dollars. If it is next year, then 2.5 billion, and if two years later, it would be 3 billion, and if it is four years later, then four billion dollars, take it in writing from me. It will grow by half a billion dollars a year," he added.
On June 4, 11 people died and over 50 were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy stadium as a massive crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, celebrating their maiden IPL trophy win.
A two-person bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) observed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to be "responsible" for the gathering of "about three to five lakhs people" outside their home venue of M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Taking to X, RCB wrote on X, The Silence wasn't Absence. It was Grief. This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you enjoyed the most.. But June 4th changed everything. That day broke our hearts, and the silence since then has been our way of holding space. In that silence, we've been grieving. Listening. Learning. And slowly, we've begun to build something more than just a response. Something we truly believe in. That's how RC came to life. It grew out of a need to honour, to heal, and to stand beside our fans. A platform for meaningful action shaped by our community & fans. We return to this space today, not with celebration but with care. To share. To stand with you. To walk forward, together. To continue being the pride of Karnataka.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru