Rajasthan Royals set for Rs 15,290 crore sale to Kal Somani-led US consortium, BCCI nod awaited

Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals is set to be sold to a US-based consortium led by Arizona-based tech entrepreneur Kal Somani for USD 1.63 billion (approximately Rs 15,290 crore), in what is poised to be one of the biggest deals in IPL history.

The consortium includes high-profile investors such as Rob Walton of the Walmart family and members of the Hamp family, linked to the Ford Motor legacy. Somani, an existing investor in the franchise, is known for founding companies such as IntraEdge, Truyo.Ai, and Academian.

The deal, however, remains subject to approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is expected to come into effect after the 2026 IPL season. A formal announcement is likely within the next few days, sources indicated.

British-Indian businessman Manoj Badale currently holds a 65 per cent stake in the Royals. The valuation reflects the rapid commercial growth of the IPL as a global sporting brand.

Other contenders in the bidding process reportedly included a consortium led by Times Internet, the Aditya Birla Group, and the Mittal family led by Aditya Mittal.

Sources noted that the valuation significantly surpasses earlier franchise deals, including the sale of Lucknow Super Giants to the RPSG Group for just over ₹7,000 crore in 2021, highlighting the league’s exponential growth.

Meanwhile, another major franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is also expected to go up for sale, with its valuation likely to exceed USD 2 billion, further underlining the IPL’s surging market value.