RCB Ownership Race Heats Up: Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath Joins The Auction Battle As Billionaires Line Up To Acquire IPL Team

In case six companies were not sufficient, two other parties have shown interest towards purchasing a share in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which is a hot property in the market currently, and the franchise is the defending champions of the Indian Premier League.

Billionaires Eye RCB Ownership

Some of the well-known local faces that may be competing include Bengaluru resident billionaire Nikhil Kamath, a co-founder of discount brokerage Zerodha and Ranjan Pai, chairman of the Manipal Education and Medical Group.

They are both Kannadigas and rich, which gives them the financial power to offer a bid of a team worth more than a billion dollars. Any consortium that would consider purchasing RCB would like a local face that would appeal to the fanbase of the franchise and needs to win over political and social circles in Bengaluru.

Diageo Confirms Sale Process for RCB

Although Diageo affirmed on November 5 that it had begun the procedure of selling RCB, it is X posting by Adar Poonawala on October 1, the first indication that the Bengaluru franchise based on the star Indian batter Virat Kohli was being sold.

The head of the Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine producer in the world is a Poonawala, the CEO of the company with an approximate net worth of more than 20 billion, according to Forbes.

Diageo and USL in its filing to the stock exchange indicated that it was making the disclosure in accordance with regulation 30 of the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements of SEBI.

An important point was also mentioned in the statement, as it refers to the fact that the process is projected to be completed by the end of March 31, 2026.

According to The Times of India, a consortium comprising of Kamath, Pai and Poonawala may offer a bid on the team. A letter to Pai sent through email and messages to the staff of the former failed to draw a reply of the publication. According to Forbes, Pai is estimated to be worth 2.8 billion, and Kamath is estimated to be worth 2.5 billion.

The value of RCB was estimated to be slightly higher than that of 2022, when Forbes ranked them at a bit over 1 billion, three years prior to their championship win this season. The valuation of the franchise will be more now.

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