The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is just a few months away, and preparations are in full swing. While teams are getting ready for the mini auction scheduled for December 16, another major development has caught everyone’s attention. Two IPL franchises, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), have reportedly been put up for sale.
RCB’s sale has already been made official, with owners Diageo confirming on November 5 that the process to sell the team has begun. Now, according to businessman Harsh Goenka, Rajasthan Royals may also be heading in the same direction. In a post on X, Goenka said he had heard that not one but two teams, RCB and RR, are up for sale.
He added that several potential buyers are in the race, possibly from Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru or even the United States. His post suggested that owners might be looking to take advantage of the high valuations IPL teams are currently enjoying.
Rajasthan Royals, the winners of the first IPL edition in 2008, are majority-owned by the Royals Sports Group (Emerging Media Sporting Holdings Limited), which holds around 65 percent stake. The remaining share includes minority investors such as Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capital Partners.
As for RCB, a number of well-known names have already emerged as possible buyers. A report by The Times of India says that Zerodha cofounder Nikhil Kamath and Manipal Group chairman Ranjan Pai are both in the race. Both businessmen are from Karnataka and based in Bengaluru, making them strong contenders.
The report also states that Kamath and Pai may submit a joint bid along with Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
