Rajasthan Royals [Source: AP]The Rajasthan Royals franchise may be bracing itself for fresh legal trouble amid the ongoing IPL 2026 season. Several reports are indicating that the Kal Somani-led consortium, previously interested in ownership of the franchise, is gearing up for a possible legal battle. Earlier, the consortium reached extremely close in acquiring ownership of the franchise for a sum of $1.63 billion. However, the deal involving the Kal Somani-led group ran into several hurdles before it eventually fell through.Rajasthan Royals sale takes sharp turn amid IPL 2026 Indian businessman Lakshmi N. Mittal and his son Aditya Mittal, along with Adar Poonawalla have now acquired a majority stake in Rajasthan Royals franchise. Several reports are indicating that the Mittal-led group acquired the stake with a staggering bid of USD 1.65 billion (approximately Rs 15,600 crore). The transaction represents the complete enterprise value of the Rajasthan Royals franchise, which also includes sister teams like SA20’s Paarl Royals and CPL’s Barbados Royals. A press release issued by Mittal family stated “Lakshmi N. Mittal and Aditya Mittal today announce that a definitive agreement has been reached to acquire RR, in partnership with Adar Poonawalla, from Manoj Badale and consortium.” It is worth noting that the Mittal family will now own approximately 75 percent of the Rajasthan Royals, and Adar Poonawalla will hold 18 percent of the ownership. The remaining seven percent will be held by existing owners, including franchise veteran Manoj Badale. The deal is expected to close at some point during the third quarter of this year. The Rajasthan Royals entered into a new ownership phase in the middle of the IPL 2026 season, after the Kal Somani-Rob Walton-Sheila Ford Hamp consortium pulled out of the race. Why did Kal Somani-led consortium pull out of Royals ownership The Kal Somani-led consortium is now gearing up for a legal battle, as reported by Cricbuzz. A source close to Somani, an Arizona-based businessman, said “We have had calls this morning with legal and PR in the USA. We are deciding on our PR. A legal letter will be sent today.” It is worth noting that multiple reasons are being cited for the collapse of Somani-led consortium’s planned ownership deal with the Rajasthan Royals franchise. One of the primary reasons floating around media outlets is that Somani did not honour the one-month exclusivity period for making the payment. However, sources close to the Arizona businessman has blamed the RR management for “slow dragging” the documentation work, claiming that 90 percent of the documentation are still pending from the management. The sources added that money was never an issue for Kal Somani, especially with the backing of Walton and Hampton families. Additional report also stated that they the Somani-led consortium had issues with Manoj Badale, current lead owner who wanted to remain associated with the franchise. Notably, Badale is currently playing a crucial role under the RR ownership with the Mittal family and Adar Poonawala. Legal trouble looms for Rajasthan Royals The Somani-led group is now considering to go public regarding their fallout with the RR franchise. The source added that the group also has queries regarding the BCCI dues. While the sale with the Mittal family has been formally announced, the Rajasthan Royals could still find itself entangled in a legal tussle amidst IPL 2026, and the Somani-led consortium’s next move will likely determine how this saga unfolds. Also Read- Babar Azam Falls For Golden Duck In PSL 2026 Final
