Another party has shown interest in buying IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of IPL 2026, joining the likes of Adar Poonawala and Hombale Films. The franchise, which is currently owned by Diageo, is up for sale and the process is expected to be complete by March 31, 2026. Now, it has come to light that The Hundred franchise Welsh Fire have shown interest in acquiring RCB.
The Hundred team eyes RCB
As per The Telegraph UK, Welsh Fire – owned by Glamorgan Cricket Club and American tech billionaire Sanjay Govil – are keeping a keen eye on impending sale of states in BBL but are also interested in buying RCB. The report claims that Govil and the team at Glamorgan have reached an understanding that they have enough funds to buy the IPL team. Earlier, reports stated that RCB could possibly be sold for $2 billion.
“Fire and Freedom do not comment on specific cases. However, we are in the business of owning, operating and developing global cricket franchises. We note current structural trends towards consolidation in global cricket assets and intend to fully participate in that process while creating value for our shareholders,” Glamorgan chairman Mark Rhydderch-Roberts told the publication.
Previously, reports stated that Adar Poonawalla, owner and chief executive officer (CEO) of Serum Institute of India, and Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of brokerage platform Zerodha, and Ranjan Pai, chairman of the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), were looking to form a consortium to bid for RCB.
It was reported that Diageo was looking to sell the IPL franchise at $2 billion (approximately INR 17,775 crore). But Poonawalla wasn’t convinced and had previously raised concerns over RCB’s evaluation. Virat Kohli could play a major role in the valuation of the franchise.
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