Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, the original owner of Royal Challenger Bangalore, on Thursday took a dig at critics who called it "investment as a vanity project" after the cricket franchise was sold for almost USD 2 billion (Rs 18,776 crore). Mallya, who had bought Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) for Rs 450 crore in 2008, in a post on X congratulated the new owners of RCB, saying, "I wish them the very best and Godspeed with the most valuable IPL franchise." The sale of cricket franchise RCB by United Spirits Ltd (USL) almost tops a record USD 2 billion (Rs 18,776 crore), considering it also includes a Rs 540-crore payout for the Women's Premier League and a 5 per cent commission to the cricket body BCCI by the consortium of buyers, according to sources. USL had on Tuesday announced the sale of RCB in a Rs 16,660-crore all-cash deal to a consortium of Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone. Reacting to the development, Mallya wrote, "When I
Gujarat Titans have made a change to their squad ahead of the official start of the season by replacing injured Prithviraj Yarra with left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya
CSK's Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, who broke the record for the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history with ₹14.2 crore bids each, will be at the centre stage among top uncapped players
Sale of RCB stake to boost cash flows and support deleveraging, while premiumisation and policy shifts underpin steady growth outlook for United Spirits
RCB and Rajasthan Royals raked in over $1 billion from the fresh sale. Here's a look at current owners, past deals and how franchise brand valuations have grown
Two multi-billion-dollar franchise deals have put the IPL in the global spotlight, but how does it compare with the NFL, EPL and NBA in size, revenue and influence across world sport
This isn't just about two franchises surpassing a symbolic valuation milestone. It is about the IPL emerging as a sustainable business and not just a cricket league
RCB and Rajasthan Royals' billion-dollar deals reveal how IPL teams are valued, from media rights and cash flows to brand power, scarcity and future growth expectations
Record-breaking sales of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals highlight IPL's rapid growth, but raise questions on returns, valuation logic and motivations behind team ownership
IPL is entering a new era. With Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru sold in multi-billion dollar deals, cricket is no longer just a sport—it’s a serious investment asset.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener of IPL 2026 on March 28
Johnson will miss the initial matches as he is still in rehab before finally joining the CSK camp between April 21 and 23, the five-time champions confirmed
Aryaman Birla represented Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, emerging as a promising batsman and all-rounder
Bengaluru-based franchise is being acquired from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo plc, in a deal that values RCB at $1.78 billion (around ₹16,600 crore)
Deal includes men's and women's teams as United Spirits exits franchise ownership amid strategic portfolio review of non-core businesses
Malinga, a 25-year-old pacer, is set to join Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad, alongside Kamindu Mendis, who has already received approval.
Lucknow Super Giants already have a formidable pace attack, and according to former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, this could make it tough for Arjun Tendulkar to find a place in the playing XI.
Rinku Singh, despite a sensational IPL 2024 season with KKR, was pushed down in the batting order in 2025 and will expect a bigger role this year.
Talismanic batter Virat Kohli on Saturday urged his Royal Challengers Bengaluru teammates to "switch on" themselves and not waste even a minute at the training sessions as they gear up for their IPL title defence. Addressing the squad during their first practice session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli underlined the need to maintain the intensity that brought them the title last year. "We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it's only going to get tougher because other teams are going to come hard at us," Kohli said. RCB will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Emphasising urgency from day one, he added, "We don't waste these days. We stay ahead. So, switch on now. Let's not waste even a minute of any session that we are a part of. We must give our 120 per cent for these two and a half months." RCB added Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal a
Sri Lanka Cricket has granted NOCs to Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis for IPL 2026 after they successfully passed mandatory physical performance tests