Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which is considered one of the most popular and valuable franchises in the IPL, may be up for sale at a staggering price. It is reported that the owners of the Welsh Fire Hundred franchise are the serious bidders for the acquisition of RCB.
RCB has a very close association with Virat Kohli, the player who has been leading the franchise for a long time and was instrumental in the team finally winning the IPL title.
The initial owner of the team was the billionaire Vijay Mallya, but currently, it belongs to Diageo, a global beverage company.
Soon RCB could change its owners
Diageo announced at the beginning of this month that it had initiated a strategic review of its investment in the franchise. This is equivalent to saying that they are weighing the options of either selling the whole team or just part of it to a new owner.
Now, as per The Telegraph UK, the The Hundred franchise Welsh Fire is said to be the party interested in purchasing RCB.
The Glamorgan Cricket Club along with Sanjay Govil, who also owns Washington Freedom in the USA’s Major League Cricket, owns Welsh Fire.
The two partners each own a 50% stake in the team and are readily looking to increase their influence in the world cricket.
As per the reports from the industry, the two partners consider they have the financial capacity to make a huge offer for RCB if it is put up for sale officially. Not the least, it has been rumored that the Bangalore franchise may price at a valuation of $2 billion (around ₹16,600 crore) that it is seeking for bids.
Why is it worthwhile for Welsh Fire to buy RCB?
RCB has been consistently one of the top brands in IPL. The team was the second most expensive when the league started in 2008.
Over time, its huge fan following, star power, and commercial value have only increased. In 2021, two new teams were added to the IPL with Lucknow Super Giants bought for $914 million and Gujarat Titans for $750 million.
RCB’s worth has nearly skyrocketed due to the IPL’s worldwide distribution and its rising acclaim. The Welsh Fire and their spokesmen have not made any public acknowledgement of their attraction yet.
However, they did claim that they want to increase their cricket investments and be part of the ongoing merging of international cricket clubs.
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