Who Is The Owner of RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) in IPL 2026? Current Owner, Net Worth, Background

Royal Challengers Bangalore, formerly known as Royal Challengers Bangalore and also known as RCB, is a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, formerly known as Royal Challengers Bangalore and also known as RCB, is a professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The team competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was founded in 2008 by United Spirits. RCB plays its home matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The team won its first IPL title in 2025. They have been runners-up three times – in 2009, 2011 and 2016. The team has also reached the playoffs in ten of the eighteen seasons.

As of 2025, Rajat Patidar is the team’s captain, and Andy Flower is the head coach. The franchise also participates in the Champions League, where they were runners-up in the 2011 season. In 2024, RCB was valued at $117 million, making it one of the most valuable teams.

History of RCB

2008–2010: Inaugural season
Main article: Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008, 2009 and 2010

In September 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to launch a new Twenty20 cricket league called the Indian Premier League (IPL). The first season started in 2008. On 24 January 2008, an auction was held in Mumbai to select the owners of teams from eight cities, including Bengaluru. Vijay Mallya bought the Bengaluru team for US$111.6 million, which was the second highest price. The highest price was the Mumbai Indians team, which was bought for US$111.9 million.

In 2008, Rahul Dravid became the team’s icon player

Ahead of the 2008 players’ auction, the IPL selected Rahul Dravid as Bengaluru’s icon player. This meant that Dravid received 15% more money than the highest bidder in the auction. The team signed many well-known Indian and international players such as Jacques Kallis, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn and Cameron White. In the second round of the auction, they also included Ross Taylor, Misbah-ul-Haq and the young Indian captain Virat Kohli, who won the Under-19 World Cup.

Dravid became the captain and Venkatesh Prasad was appointed as the head coach

But the team struggled in the first season. They could win only 4 matches out of 14 and ended the season in 7th place out of 8 teams. Dravid was the only player to score more than 300 runs. Their most expensive overseas player, Kallis, was also benched for a few matches due to poor performances.

Midway through the season, the team’s CEO Charu Sharma was removed and replaced by Brijesh Patel. Vijay Mallya publicly blamed Dravid and Sharma for picking the wrong players in the auction. Later, Chief Cricket Officer Martin Crowe resigned and Ray Jennings appointed Prasad as the head coach.

RCB Owner’s Net Worth With Brand Value

Under Diageo’s ownership, RCB has transformed into a strong and successful team. After winning their first IPL title in 2025, RCB’s brand value has increased significantly. Currently, the team is valued at $269 million, making RCB one of the most valuable teams in the IPL.

Entity	Type	Estimated Value (2025)
United Spirits Limited (USL)	Company Net Worth	₹7,121 crore
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)	Franchise Brand Value	$269 million (around ₹2,240 crore)
Diageo Plc (Parent Company)	Global Net Worth	More than $90 billion

Who Want To Buy RCB?

Potential Buyer	Company/Group	Remarks
Adar Poonawalla	Serum Institute of India	Publicly shows interest and may join with U.S. investors.
Gautam Adani	Adani Group	Earlier bid for the Ahmedabad IPL team; owns Gujarat Giants in the WPL.
Parth Jindal	JSW Group	Must leave Delhi Capitals ownership if he wants to buy another IPL team (BCCI rule).
Delhi Business Tycoon	Private Group	Active in many business sectors.

Ambassadors

In 2008, Katrina Kaif was the brand ambassador of the team. In the following seasons, other celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Ramya, Puneet Rajkumar, Shiv Rajkumar, Upendra and Ganesh joined as ambassadors. All of them supported the team and helped it become more popular.

Who will be Owner In 2026?

The final decision on the sale will be taken before the IPL 2026 auction. Diageo India wants to retain the team, but their UK headquarters are planning to sell it.

Whether Adar Poonawalla, the Adani Group, or any other major global investor takes over ownership, one thing is certain: after RCB wins its first IPL trophy, the team’s value and legacy will be stronger than ever.

Conclusion

The story surrounding RCB’s ownership in IPL 2026 is getting more interesting with each new piece of information. While Diageo India is still the current owner, big names like Adar Poonawalla and Adani Group are showing keen interest in the team. Whatever the future owner, one thing is certain – RCB has now become one of the most valuable and beloved teams in the IPL, especially after winning their first trophy. Fans can only hope that this new chapter brings more success, stability and memorable cricketing moments for the franchise.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.What is the net worth of RCB’s owner?

The Bengaluru team was bought by Vijay Mallya for 11.16 million US dollars. This is the second highest amount he has paid, slightly less than the 11.19 million US dollars paid by Reliance Industries for Mumbai Indians.

Q2.Who is the owner of RCB in 2026?

A big update is coming for Royal Challengers Bangalore! According to new reports, Hombale Films, the production company behind the films KGF and Kantara, is interested in buying a stake in RCB.

Q3.What is the valuation of RCB in 2025?

After 18 years, RCB has won its first IPL title, and the win has made the team the second most valuable IPL brand, worth $105 million. This valuation is 10% lower than last year, when RCB was ranked third.