Who’s Buying RCB? Billionaire confirms plan to make strong bid, his name is…

Adar Poonawalla, the pharmaceutical mogul turned billionaire, has officially announced that he intends on presenting a “strong bid” to purchase the current Indian Premier League champions, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) cricket team. This decision comes on the heels of the organization Diageo, the parent company of United Spirits Ltd., deciding to list their Bengaluru-based cricket franchise only shortly after the club won their first-ever Indian Premier League title.

Speculation regarding Poonawalla’s interest in the team has been around for a few months now. However, the Serum Institute of India CEO and chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp cleared the air regarding his interest in the team yesterday by mentioning that he is looking to formally enter the auction in the coming months. Moreover, he mentioned that the franchise is one of the best and most valuable teams in the league and that his statement regarding the team to be “a great buy at the right price.”

The ownership journey of RCB commenced in the year 2008 when Vijay Mallya’s UB Group bought the franchise for around USD 111.6 million. Over time, control changed as Diageo increased stake in United Spirits, and by 2014, it became the majority shareholder to bring RCB under its effective ownership.

Any potential sale of RCB would now go through the corporate frameworks of United Spirits and Diageo. On the field, the franchise finally ended its title drought in June 2025, beating Punjab Kings, captained by Shreyas Iyer, in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. But the celebrations were overshadowed by tragedy though the very next day as – 11 people lost their lives in a stampede during victory celebrations outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The future of RCB’s home fixtures in Bengaluru, following the incident, has been plunged into uncertainty. The Karnataka government has given permission for matches to be conducted at the venue but the franchise is yet to confirm officially whether it will be hosting its games at the venue henceforth.