ESPNcricinfo reported that global investors which include Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer plan to place bids for the Indian Premier League defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals franchises.
The estimated bid amount for each IPL franchise is expected to be around Rs 12,000-13,000 crore based on the previous sale of the Lucknow and Ahmedabad franchises in 2021 for a combined Rs 12,715 crore.
ESPNcricinfo reported that RCB has received eight investor applications from which the organization will select its three RCB investors who hold both IPL and WPL championships while RR has produced five interested investors who seek to invest in the franchise which won the first IPL championship in 2008.
The RCB shortlist includes Lancer Capital which Avram Glazer owns, Manipal Group which Ranjan Pai operates, and Adar Poonawalla who controls Serum Institute of India, Times of India Group, EQT Private Capital, Capri Global, Sanjay Govil who operates Washington Freedom in MLC and Welsh Fire in Hundred, and the private equity firm Premji Invest.
The five on the shortlisted candidates for RR include Lancer Capital, Capri Global, Arizona-based tech entrepreneur Kal Somani, Govil, and Times of India Group.
The BCCI established RCB and RR as two of the original eight teams which started competing in the IPL when it began in 2008.
RCB entered the market for sale after they achieved victory in the 2025 season championship. Diageo, the owner of the IPL and WPL franchise RCB, last year in November, said it is conducting a “strategic review” of its investment in the franchise through Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL), the parent company owning both sides, taking first steps towards divesting its stake in the franchise.
The RCB franchise ranks as one of the most popular teams in the IPL because of its star player Virat Kohli and its collection of international players who have represented the team, including Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell and Faf Du Plessis.
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