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New twist in RCB's ownership saga; Adar Poonawalla expresses Interest - Report

Prachi Rajan

Adar Poonawalla in talks to buy RCB (X.com/@adarpoonawalla & AFP)Adar Poonawalla in talks to buy RCB (X.com/@adarpoonawalla & AFP)

The owners of the IPL 2025 winning franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru, United Spirits Limited has put up the team for sale. In a recent development, Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the Serum Institute of India, has expressed his interest to buy USL’s entire stake in the franchise. 

According to reports by CNBC-TV18, Diageo are looking to sell RCB at $2 billion (INR 17,753 crore approximately). But they haven’t confirmed or denied the potential figure of sales so far.

The initial talks came into light when the former IPL Chairman, Lalit Modi made the revelation through his official X handle. Diageo, a USL subsidery, has been said to be open to a sale for a while now. 

Who is Adar Poonawalla? The ‘frontrunner’ to buy RCB Ownership

Son of Cyrus Poonawalla, the founder of the Serum Institute of India, Adar Poonawalla is an India-based business tycoon. He holds the chief executive officer position at the multinational biotechnology and biopharmaceuticals company, based in Pune. 

The billionaire is known for his philanthropic works, being awarded Philanthropist of the year by GQ Magazine in 2016. Under Adar's leadership, in 2020, during the COVID-19 epidemic, Serum Institute of India announced that it would donate $66 million to the University of Oxford to fund the creation of the Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building. 

RCB Ownership for sale: Franchise hope for positive progress after fatal stampede 

The rumours of RCB for sale peaked after the tragic stampede in Bengaluru during the team’s celebration for its first-ever IPL title, which took the lives of 11 people. “RCB is an exciting business, but it is non-core for Diageo,” Praveen Someshwar, MD & CEO of Diageo India, told CNBC-TV18 earlier this month.

The triumph in IPL 2025 was seen as revolutionary for RCB, which was already one of the most popular and marketable teams in the world, despite never winning a trophy. The fact that sellers are coming up and logistics are being worked out represents progress.