Lalit Modi. Image Credits: AFP
IPL founder Lalit Modi might reportedly make his return to the Indian T20 tournament, albeit as a team owner. According to a report, the veteran cricket administrator is in race to buy stakes in the Rajasthan Royals franchise.
The Royals franchise is already moving forward with its sale, and has reportedly reached its final stage. As many as four interested parties have emerged for the bidding race of the franchise, with a consortium led by Lalit Modi and US-based entrepreneur Kal Somani being one of them.
Lalit Modi in race to buy Rajasthan Royals: Report
IPL founder and its first-ever chairman Lalit Modi is currently one of the four leading contenders in buying the Rajasthan Royals franchise. As reported by Khel Now, the IPL and the global investment bank, The Raine Group, has already shortlisted four interested bidding groups.
Interestingly, the Lalit Modi and Kal Somani-led consortium is one of the four interested groups alongside Aditya Birla Group and David Blitzer consortium, the Times Internet Chairman Satyan Gajwani and the Adar Poonawalla-led consortium.
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It is worth noting that the Aditya Birla Group submitted its joint binding bid earlier this month with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment co-founder David Blitzer.
The consortium owned by Lalit Modi and Somani, meanwhile, is based in USA’s Scottsdale city in Arizona. Over the past two decades or so, the group has built business in technology, education and sport. Notably, Kal Somani also entered the IPL back in 2021 by purchasing minority stakes in the Rajasthan Royals.
If Lalit Modi manages to re-enter the IPL fray, it remains to be seen how the BCCI and the Indian government will respond. It is worth noting that Modi is reportedly wanted by the Indian authorities for his alleged financial irregularities in the past.
Current ownership of Rajasthan Royals
The majority of the current Rajasthan Royals ownership lies with venture capitalist Manoj Badale through Emerging Media Ventures. Badale owns 65 percent of the franchise, with RedBird Capital Partners (15 percent), Lachlan Murdoch (13 percent) and several Individual minority stakeholders (7 percent) holding the remaining shares.
Rajasthan Royals prep for IPL 2026
Ownership aside, the Rajasthan Royals franchise is currently prepping up for the upcoming IPL 2026 season. Several players of the team have already begun their respective training sessions as the franchise aims to clinch its first silverware since the inaugural 2008 edition nearly two decades ago.
Prior to the IPL 2026 auction last year, the Rajasthan Royals management retained several star attractions in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal, rising star Vaibhav Suryavanshi, West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer, star all-rounder Riyan Parag alongside several others.
The franchise also traded in Sam Curran and legendary all-rounder and comeback man Ravindra Jadeja from the CSK in exchange of outbound Sanju Samson. Here is a look at the entire Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2026:
Rajasthan Royals squad for IPL 2026:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Shubham Dubey, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Ravindra Jadeja (traded from CSK), Sam Curran (traded from CSK), Donovan Ferreira (traded from DC), Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Yudhvir Singh, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, Ravi Bishnoi, Sushant Mishra, Yashraj Punja, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh, Brijesh Sharma, Aman Rao, Adam Milne, Kuldeep Sen
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