The sale of Royal Challengers Bengaluru has apparently piqued the interest of prominent entrepreneurs Nikhil Kamath and Ranjan Pai. On November 5, global liquor company Diageo revealed that they have commenced the sale process for RCB, which is expected to be finalized by March 31 and hopefully before the 2026 Indian Premier League season.
It is anticipated that Nikhil and Ranjan may establish a consortium to place the offer. There have already been numerous theories about who would take over the Bengaluru-based franchise, and this revelation only adds to the intrigue.
Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, and Ranjan Pai, head of the Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), have emerged as strong contenders to buy Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), as reported by The Times of India. Both businessmen hail from Karnataka, the home state of the franchise, making them ideal local bidders. The franchise’s valuation is expected to exceed USD 1–1.2 billion, and both Nikhil and Ranjan are believed to have the financial strength to make a serious bid.
It is believed that any prospective buyer or consortium would have the advantage of having a deep local presence with the gigantic fan base of RCB that is among the most loyal in the IPL. This association, combined with high credibility and business and political circles in Karnataka would be an added value to the franchise. It is also reported that a strong alliance of Nikhil Kamath, Ranjan Pai, and the CEO of Serum India Adar Poonawala might form in the next few weeks.
RCB Leads IPL Brand Value Rankings as Kamath and Pai Back Billion-Dollar Franchise
According to Forbes, Nikhil Kamath and Ranjan Pai have net worths of USD 2.5 billion and USD 2.8 billion, respectively. In 2022, Forbes valued RCB at slightly over USD 1 billion. Another report by advisory firm Houlihan Lokey revealed that the overall IPL business value reached USD 18.5 billion in 2025, with a combined brand value of USD 3.9 billion. Within that, RCB leads the table with a brand valuation of USD 269 million — the highest among all franchises.
The recent years have seen the increased value of RCB due to its achievements. In 2025, the men team finally won their maiden IPL title under the captainship of Rajat Patidar and it took years of broken hopes before the team could finally win the title. In the meantime, the female group was already shining Bengaluru as the WPL champions in 2024 through the leadership of Smriti Mandhana. The women team is also retaining players ahead of the 2026 WPL mega auction, which is an indication of high retention in the RCB system.
