New Delhi, March 25: A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group and the Times of India Group has successfully acquired the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the current champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), for $1.78 billion (approximately ₹16,725 crore).
According to a report by ‘Cricbuzz’, the consortium also includes Bolt Ventures and Blackstone’s Perpetual Private Equity Strategy (BXPE). RCB, one of the original eight franchises established before the inaugural IPL season in 2008, is now under new ownership.
The report claims that the consortium has reached a definitive agreement with the UK-based Diageo PLC’s subsidiary, United Spirits Limited (USL), to acquire 100% stake in RCB. This deal encompasses both men’s and women’s teams in the IPL and WPL.
Under the new ownership structure, Aryaman Vikram Birla, director of the Aditya Birla Group, will assume the role of chairman, while Satyan Gajwani from the Times of India Group will serve as vice-chairman. The consortium also includes David Blitzer, founder of Bolt Ventures, and Viral Patel, CEO of BXPE.
This acquisition is subject to approval from regulatory bodies, as well as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the governing bodies of the IPL and WPL.
Diageo PLC had put RCB up for sale a few months ago, attracting interest from several potential buyers, including Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India.
RCB is the first and only franchise to hold titles in both the IPL and WPL simultaneously. The men’s team won its first IPL title in 2025, followed by the women’s team securing their second WPL title in February 2026.
RCB was originally acquired through a bidding process by former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who included young star Virat Kohli as an ‘icon player’. Diageo PLC took control of the RCB franchise after acquiring United Spirits from Mallya.