RCB New Owner Announced, Manchester United Out

RCB gets new owners before IPL 2026 [Source: @Rajiv1841/x]

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise has found a new custodian at the helm, ushering in a fresh chapter in its storied IPL journey. It is worth noting that RCB’s previous owners, the United Spirits, had put up the franchise for sale just a few months after winning the IPL 2025 title last year.

The RCB has now been sold to Aditya Birla Group & David Blitzer consortium as the franchise embarks on a new era of ownership, marking a significant shift in its off-field leadership shortly prior to the upcoming IPL 2026 season later this weekend.

RCB find new owners before IPL 2026

The RCB franchise has now been sold to the consortium of Aditya Birla Group, US sports investors David Blitzer, US private equity firm Blackstone. Earlier in the day, several reports confirmed that the consortium had already submitted a joint bid for the IPL 2025 winning team.

It is worth noting that the consortium initially evaluated an investment in the Rajasthan Royals franchise. However, the group subsequently shifted its focus to the RCB.

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Earlier, the RCB franchise also acquired significant interest from Avram Glazer, co-owner of the Manchester United. Several other consortiums also showcased their interest in acquiring the RCB, only to be surpassed by the Aditya Birla Group and David Blitzer group.

Businessman Adar Poonawalla also emerged as one of the leading contenders to buy RCB, before reportedly pulling out of the race.

Under new ownership, the RCB franchise will likely be led by Aryaman Birla, son of Kumar Mangalam Birla, who himself is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. Interestingly, Aryaman used to be a part of the Rajasthan Royals franchise before announcing his early retirement from the game to turn to family business.

What does new ownership mean for the RCB?

The RCB franchise will now be making way from their previous owners, the United Spirits Limited. The Indian alcoholic beverage company founded the RCB back in 2008, i.e., before the inaugural edition of the IPL.

The development brings clarity to RCB’s ownership situation just days before the new season gets underway. With the transition now formalised, the focus is set to swiftly shift back to on-field ambitions and title defence.

"Over the past two decades, the IPL has morphed to become a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket, creating enormous value for India. RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport. We are delighted to become custodians of this asset and committed to further building this extraordinary legacy," Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said in a statement.

RCB to enter IPL 2026 as defending champions, to face SRH

The RCB is set to enter the upcoming IPL 2026 season for the first time as defending champions. Under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, the team lifted the IPL 2025 title last year by defeating Punjab Kings in the final.

The franchise will now face the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening match of the tournament. The match will be hosted by the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28 and the action will commence from 7:30 PM IST onwards.

As per the IPL 2026 schedule unveiled by the BCCI earlier this month, RCB will subsequently host the CSK at the same venue, before travelling to Guwahati and Mumbai for matches against Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians.

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