Adar Poonawalla has confirmed plans to place a โstrong and competitiveโ bid for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. United Spirits is reportedly seeking $2 billion, a valuation that could make RCB the most expensive franchise in cricket history.
Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of Serum Institute, has signalled his intention to make a major move in the Indian Premier League (IPL) market, revealing plans to submit a โstrong and competitiveโ bid for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise. The announcement came on Wednesday via X, where Poonawalla wrote, โOver the next few months, I will be putting in a STRONG and COMPETITIVE bid for @RCBTweets, one of the best teams in the IPL.โ
The move places Poonawalla at the centre of ongoing speculation about the potential sale of RCB, owned by United Spirits, a company controlled by Diageo. Industry insiders have reported that United Spirits is seeking $2 billion for the franchise. Achieving this valuation would make RCB one of the most expensive single-team assets in the history of cricket.
In October 2025, Poonawalla had hinted at interest in RCB, posting, โAt the right valuation, @RCBTweets is a great team.โ That message, while measured, gained momentum when former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi described RCB as a โprime investmentโ and suggested that global and sovereign funds could be potential buyers.
History of RCB owners and current status
To manage the potential sale, reports indicate that global investment bank Citi has been appointed as the transaction adviser, overseeing negotiations and ensuring proper corporate procedures are followed. Any sale would be conducted through the corporate channels of United Spirits and Diageo, the latter being a London-listed spirits giant that built a controlling stake in the company and became the majority shareholder in 2014.
RCB was originally purchased at the 2008 IPL auction by Vijay Mallyaโs UB Group for approximately $111.6 million. Over the years, the franchise has grown in prominence, culminating in its first IPL title last year when they defeated Punjab Kings in the final. When it comes to Womenโs Premier League, RCB lifted the title in the 2024 season and are unbeaten in the ongoing season.ย
If completed, the transaction would surpass the record set by the Lucknow Super Giants, which were acquired by the RPSG Group for Rs 7,090 crore in the most recent franchise sale. With Poonawalla entering the bidding process, the IPL is poised for one of the most closely watched franchise transactions in its history.