New owners expected to be announced in March 2026 as RCB is up for sale

RCB secured its first IPL title in 2025, following the women’s team’s victory in in 2024

Last updated: November 06, 2025 | 13:25

Jai Rai, Assistant Editor

2 MIN READ

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Indian Premier League 2025 crown beating Punjab Kings in the finals.

AFP

Dubai: The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise has been put up for sale, with its current owners, Diageo, aiming to complete the ownership transfer by March 31, 2026. The process has already begun, and the company has issued a formal disclosure regarding the move.

In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the UK-based company described the move as a strategic review of its investment in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCSPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of United Spirits Ltd. (USL), which operates under Diageo.

RCB, a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception in 2008, secured its first IPL title in 2025, following the women’s team’s victory in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2024. The franchise features star players such as Virat Kohli, Smriti Mandhana, and Josh Hazlewood.

The company’s statement confirmed that USL is undertaking a strategic review of its investment in RCSPL, which owns and manages RCB’s participation in both the IPL and WPL tournaments organised annually by the BCCI.

United Spirits Ltd. Managing Director and CEO Praveen Someshwar noted that while RCSPL has been a valuable and strategic asset, it remains outside the company’s core alcoholic beverages business. The review is part of USL and Diageo’s broader effort to reassess their India portfolio to ensure long-term value creation for stakeholders while keeping RCSPL’s interests in focus.

Among the potential buyers expressing interest in acquiring RCB are the Adani Group, Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, and Ravi Jaipuria of the Devyani International Group.

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Jai RaiAssistant Editor

Jai is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience across India and the UAE, specialising in sports reporting. Throughout his distinguished career, he has had the privilege of covering some of the biggest names and events in sports, including cricket, tennis, Formula 1 and golf. A former first-division cricket league captain himself, he brings not only a deep understanding of the game but also a cricketer's discipline to his work. His unique blend of athletic insight and journalistic expertise gives him a wide-ranging perspective that enriches his storytelling, making his coverage both detailed and engaging. Driven by an unrelenting passion for sports, he continues to craft compelling narratives that resonate with readers. As the day winds down for most, he begins his work, ensuring that the most captivating stories make it to the print edition in time for readers to receive them bright and early the next morning.