Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India, is in negotiations with Diageo Plc — the owners of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) — to potentially purchase the Indian Premier League's (IPL) 2025 champion, a source told CNBC-TV18.
It is still unclear at this time whether Diageo Plc intends to sell all of its shares in RCB. United Spirits is owned by Diageo Plc.
Meanwhile, Poonawalla added fuel to fire by posting on X: “At the right valuation, @RCBTweets is a great team…”
According to sources familiar with the situation, "Adar Poonawalla is the front-runner among other interested parties for acquiring RCB."
According to media sources, the British multinational alcoholic beverage business is seeking a valuation of about $2 billion for RCB.
According to Houlihan Lokey's IPL Valuation Study 2025 report, RCB was the most valuable company this year, even in terms of business value.
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“RCB’s success extended beyond the boundary. Off the field, the franchise welcomed tech innovator Nothing as an associate sponsor and scaled up match-day experiences and grassroots initiatives across Karnataka. These community-driven efforts, coupled with savvy digital marketing and the enduring appeal of global icons, have turbocharged RCB’s brand equity,” Houlihan Lokey stated in its IPL Valuation Study 2025 report.
Meanwhile, former IPL chairman, Lalit Modi in a post on X on Tuesday said, “There have been a lot of rumour about the sale of an @IPL franchise specifically @RCBTweets - well in the past they have been denied. But it seems the owners have finally decided to take it off their balance sheet and sell it. I am sure having won the IPL last season and also with its strong base of fans and of course the Team itself and a great management team - it could be the only Team which would be available as a whole as an #ipl franchise.”
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