Aussie aces’ IPL franchise sold for $A2.56 billion
Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be sold for A$2.56 billion.
This news will attract the attention of Cricket Australia and the states, which are considering whether to monetize the Big Bash League and adopt a franchise model.
While the huge Indian market is a very different proposition to Australia’s, the sale highlights the growing value of T20 cricket franchises.
The team, one of the eight original franchises of the IPL, won its first men’s title in 17 years in 2025, with Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood and Indian superstar batsman Virat Kohli among the key players.
Hazlewood and Tim David will play for RCB this season and their wages will be US$2.2 million and US$500,000 respectively.
A consortium comprising Aditya Birla Group, Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone said on Tuesday it will acquire RCB, ending a weeks-long bidding war.
Seller United Spirits, the Indian arm of UK-based drinks giant Diageo, is selling the team as it sees it as “non-core” to its primary alcohol business.
The Indian Premier League, the world’s richest cricket league, counts Bollywood stars and Indian businessmen among its supporters, but is now attracting interest from major private equity firms in anticipation of skyrocketing revenues and profits and huge audiences around the world.
Rajasthan Royals, majority-owned by London-based venture capitalist Manoj Badale, is also in a separate sale process.
Key factors driving interest in the league include the doubling in value of broadcasting rights to over A$8.6 billion in the latest auction in 2022, rising franchise revenues and the Indian cricket board BCCI’s pooled revenue sharing model that supports team revenues.
The acquisition includes both the men’s IPL series and the Women’s Premier League series and is subject to customary closing conditions.
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