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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have reportedly found new owners, with the Aditya Birla Group and American sports investor David Blitzer-led consortium winning the bidding race, according to multiple reports ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026 season kickoff.

After weeks of speculation, the Birla group had emerged as the frontrunner, and RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka appeared to confirm the development on social media, posting: “RCB Sold to Birlas! Great move!”

Just hours before this, reports from Bussiness suggested that a consortium including Aditya Birla Group, David Blitzer, US private equity firm Blackstone, had taken the lead in acquiring the Diageo-owned IPL franchise.

An official announcement is still awaited. However, earlier reports indicated that RCB’s valuation could be around $2 billion (over INR 18,600 crore at 1$ = 93 INR), making it one of the most expensive deals in cricket history.

Earlier in the day, Rajasthan Royals was sold to a US-based consortium led by tech entrepreneur Kal Somani for a record-breaking $1.63 billion (approximately ₹15,300 crore). The Aditya Birla Group was also one of the frontrunners in RR’s bidding war.

Aditya Birla Group is one of India’s largest business conglomerates, led by Kumar Mangalam Birla. They submitted joint bid for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru with David Blitzer who is a well-known American sports investor and co-founder of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. He owns stakes in teams like the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), New Jersey Devils (NHL), and Crystal Palace (Premier League).

Blitzer is also the chairman of Blackstone’s Tactical Opportunities group (Tac Opps), and a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Reports claimed that there have been one more entry in the consortium, apart from Blackstone, the Times of India Group have also shown interest in combined ownership of IPL’s highest valued franchise. However, official confirmation is not yet announced.