RCB won its second IPL trophy in 2026. Image Credits- AFP
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) buzz has just ended with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifting their second trophy last month.
Ahead of the previous season, the Bengaluru-based franchise went through a massive transition, with United Spirits Limited selling off both their teams.
The Aditya Birla Group-led consortium, along with Times of India, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone, acquired the most celebrated IPL franchise for a whopping $1.78 billion ahead of the IPL 2026.
RCB co-owner reveals big plans, expansion not on the cards
The consortium, involving Times of India, brought charm as the RCB team won its second successive trophy. While commenting on the franchise, one of the co-owners shared the vision the new bosses hold.
RCB is one of the most celebrated teams in the Indian Premier League, alongside the Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, and Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the Bengaluru-based franchise doesn't own any teams outside India.
Times Internet Chairman Satyan Gajwani unveiled the consortium's plans for the near future, though they don't include any expansion.
“Don’t think we have any plans as of now. We’re a bit ahead of ourselves as we’re still focusing on closing the transaction and then thinking about where we’re going from there. I think RCB as a brand is very centred around Bengaluru and around cricket," Times Internet Chairman Satyan Gajwani told Reuters.
Also Read: Until When Virat Kohli Will Play IPL? RCB CEO Announces Formally
“The RCB brand warrants a global presence and that could be through other forms like academies that we could do on the ground, it could also be potentially through expanding into franchise cricket and other markets. It’s still a little bit in the air to decide whether or not we want to do that, Satyan Gajwani added.
RCB wants to work on Chinnaswamy's infrastructure
Meanwhile, RCB's new co-owner, Satyan Gajwani, said the consortium is looking to expand the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, as it doesn't have enough space to accommodate fans given the franchise's craze.
“One of the issues we have is the stadium can only fit as many people and it’s not easy to buy tickets for RCB games. So, hopefully, we’ll find ways to grow the stadium and ways to bring more fans into it,” he added.
Notably, the franchise had made numerous changes to their adopted home ahead of the IPL 2026, majorly involving safety hazards. New AI-based cameras, better redesigned entry/exit protocols, and external crowd-holding areas were among notable additions.
RCB's strongest core challenging MI, CSK's legacy
On the cricketing front, RCB became the third team to win back-to-back IPL seasons, after CSK in 2010-11 and MI in 2019-20, although RCB has only two trophies compared to their counterparts’ five each.
Having said that, under skipper Rajat Patidar, Andy Flower, Mo Bobot and Dinesh Karthik, they have formed the winning portion.
With the other teams already starting to plan for the IPL 2027 mini-auction, Bengaluru have their strongest core ever, comprising Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Read More: IPL 2027 Dates Revealed As BCCI Declares Major Change
