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In an interesting turn of events, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) owners Diageo have initiated the sale of the franchise and are expected to complete it by March 31, 2026.

Diageo has confirmed the disclosure of the team’s sale. In a communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on November 05, the UK-based company called it a ‘strategic review of the investment in Royal Challengers Sports PVT. Ltd.’

In the disclosure of the company said, “USL is initiating a strategic review of the investment in its wholly owned subsidiary, RCSPL.”

“RCSPL’s business comprises ownership of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise teams that participate in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) cricket tournaments hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annually.”

Diageo and USL wrote a letter to the stock exchange saying that they are in disclosure under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements).

The letter further added that,  “It is expected the process will conclude by March 31, 2026.”

The Managing Director and CEO of USL, Praveen Someswar, said, “RCSPL has been a valuable and strategic asset for USL. However, it is non-core to our alcoholic beverage business.”

“This step reinforces USL’s and Diageo’s commitment to continue reviewing their India enterprise portfolio to enable sustained delivery of long-term value to all stakeholders, while keeping RCSPL’s best interests in mind,” Someswar added.

The disclosure to the stock exchange is so technically worded that it can be interpreted in many different ways.

The second high point of the disclosure is that the intended date of completion of the strategic investment process is March 31, 2026.

Earlier, several reports suggested that several parties like the Adani Group, the Jindals of the JSW group, Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, and Delhi-based Ravi Jaipuria of the Devyani International Group have shown interest in acquiring the stakes in the franchise.

The talk of RCB sale has been in the public domain since the stampede incident on June 04 outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the victory parade after RCB’s maiden IPL title.

The stampede cost 11 lives, and several others were injured. The company has been under pressure from its shareholders over its presence in a non-core portfolio, and it is well known that it has engaged a merchant to oversee the sale process.