Late Australian legend Shane Warne was not only the master of spin, but a strategic thinker when it comes to market value. After the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Rajasthan Royals (RR) were finally sold to a consortium led by US-based entrepreneur Kal Somani for a reported sum of $1.63 billion (INR 15,286 Cr), Warne’s strategic move also got his family a massive sum of INR 450 Crore.
It is to be noted that Warne was sold to RR at his base price of USD 400,000 in 2008. However, he reportedly earned just over Rs 9 crore salary during his time with the Royals. But according to several reports, Warne also made a deal with the first owners, Emerging Media Ventures, that he would take 0.75% equity for every season he would play. This implies that during his four seasons, he earned 3% of the equity.
Seeing RR’s recent purchase of INR 15,286 Crore, he would get INR 450 Crore as a part of his share. However, after Shane Warne’s unfortunate death in 2022, his family is likely to get INR 450 Crore. If the reports are correct, Warne would be among the highest earning cricketers in the history of IPL, having played 55 matches and picking 57 wickets.
RR bags one of the biggest deal; sold to a consortium led by Kal Somani
While the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) found a new buyer in Aditya Birla Group-led consortium, the Royals also saw a landmark shift in their ownership. A majority stake of the Jaipur-based franchise was taken over by a global consortium led by a US-based entrepreneur Kal Somani. According to reports, the deal was made for a staggering sum of $1.63 billion.
With Somani having deep roots in sports data and AI, he already was a minority investor. But in the recent move, the new acquisition has been backed by heavyweights including Rob Walton of the Walmart family and the Hamp family.
Rajasthan Royals IPL 2026 squad
Batters: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-dre Pretorious, Ravi Singh, Aman Rao Perala, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel
All-rounders: Riyan Parag (Captain), Yudhvir Charak, Ravindra Jadeja, Dasun Shanaka
Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yash Raj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Brijesh Sharma, Adam MIlne, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burge.
