RCB for Sale: Adar Poonawalla Aims to Place ‘Strong and Competitive’ Bid for Bengaluru IPL Franchise

Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla announced his intent to bid for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, up for sale by United Spirits after their maiden IPL win, with the franchise reportedly seeking valuation reportedly valuation of up to $2 billion.

The business tycoon and Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO, Adar Poonawalla, expressed his desire to place a bid for the acquisition of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), one of the most valued and popular franchises, alongside Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians, in the history of the Indian Premier League.

In November 2025, United Spirits Ltd (USL), the Indian arm of Diageo, put the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise up for sale, with the sale process expected to conclude by March 31, 2026. The new owner will take over the RCB franchise in the middle of the IPL 2026, which is tentatively scheduled to take place in March 2026.

In the last IPL season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their 18-year wait to clinch the coveted trophy, defeating two-time finalists Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in June. Following the historic maiden IPL title, the current owner of the RCB franchise filed a disclosure with BSE for a ‘strategic review’ of its investment in the franchise through its wholly-owned subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Pvt Ltd. (RCSPL).

Adar Poonawalla Officially Enters Race for RCB Acquisition

It’s been two months since the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was put up for sale after United Spirits Ltd (USL) filed for a strategic review, but there was no official confirmation about the interested parties until Adar Poonawalla publicly announced his intent to bid for the franchise.

SII CEO confirmed his intention to make a bid for the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise on his X handle.

Poonawalla stated that he will place a ‘competitive and strong’ bid for the RCB over the next two months, while hailing the team as ‘one of the best’ in the IPL.

“Over the next few months, will be putting in a STRONG and COMPETITIVE bid for @RCBTweets, one of the best teams in the IPL,” Adar Poonawalla wrote on X.

Earlier, Adar Poonawalla had hinted at his interest in acquiring the franchise osting that ' at the right valuation, RCB is a great team’, before officially confirming of entering the race to bid for the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise, which was first owned by former Kingfisher chairman, Vijay Mallaye, who bought the team for $111.6 million in 2008.

A Billion Dollar Sale for Royal Challengers Bengaluru

The United Spirits Limited was reportedly eyeing a billion-dollar sale of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which would make it the most expensive franchise in the history of IPL. The current owner of the Bengaluru-based IPL franchise was looking for a valuation of $2 billion (around ₹17,500 crore) for the sale of a partial or full stake in the franchise.

The valuation is substantially higher than the franchise’s market value. Following a historic IPL 2025 triumph, Royal Challengers Bengaluru witnessed a surge in its market value and was the most-valued franchise with a brand value of $269 million (approximately ₹2,390 crore), according to a Houlihan Lokey valuation report.

However, according to the report by Brand Finance in December 2025, the IPL brand valuation dropped sharply, while RCB’s brand value remained strong at $105 million, but it still saw a 10% decline compared to the previous year, reflecting broader market pressures on franchise valuations. However, Royal Challengers Bengaluru remained the most valued and commercially strong IPL franchise, attracting investors for the acquisition despite a slight decline in the brand value.

The sale of the RCB franchise was overshadowed by the tragedy, wherein 11 people died, and over 50 were injured during a deadly stampede outside M Chinnawamy Stadium during the team’s IPL victory celebrations in the capital city of Karnataka on June 4. However, the stampede did not have any impact on the franchise’s market value or the ongoing sale process, with investor interest in RCB remaining strong despite the tragic incident.