Manchester United owners in race to acquire IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru

by Devesh Jaganath

image Manchester United owners in race to acquire IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The Indian Premier League is one of the most valuable sports leagues in the world, and organisations from far and wide are desperate to secure a stake in the ever-growing competition. The latest big-name investor looking to get in on the action is Avram Glazer, who is one of the front-runners to buy the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Glazers among frontrunners to purchase RCB ahead of 2026 IPL season

With the ICC T20 World Cup now done and dusted, the focus of cricket in India now shifts to the 2026 Indian Premier League, which is set to get underway on March 28. 

As is the case every year, the participating franchises are already well into their preparations following the IPL auction, but behind the scenes, there is still plenty of business to be done, and at the forefront is the pending sale of the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru. 

Over the years, RCB has become one of the biggest franchises in the IPL, thanks to their massive fanbase, and reports suggest that the Bangalore team is valued at a staggering $1.8 billion, which is the combined value that the BCCI sold the Lucknow and Ahmedabad franchises for back in 2021. 

Given the appeal of the IPL, it is unsurprising that the reigning champions have had little difficulty in attracting potential suitors. Among those who have signalled concrete interest in purchasing the franchise is Avram Glazer, owner of Premier League giants Manchester United. 

Others who are believed to be in the race include Ranjan Pai, owner of Manipal Group, Adar Poonawalla, owner of Serum Institute of India, and Sanjay Govial, owner of Washington Freedom in MLC. The Times of India, EQT Capital and Capri Global are also in the picture. 

US billionaires vs Indian tycoons: Who will win the race? 

While Glazer is believed to be the frontrunner to win the bid for RCB, the final decision is far from confirmed, especially with reports that David Blitzer, who holds stakes in the NBA franchise Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, has recently signalled his interest. 

However, there is a well-known understanding that the BCCI want arguably the biggest IPL franchise to remain Indian owned, and Poonawalla has been vocal in this regard, publicly declaring his intent to keep the team under Indian leadership. 

With the mid-March deadline for final bids drawing near, the contest has come to symbolise the IPL’s global structure - pitting Western “sports empire” builders like the Glazers and Blitzer against India’s home-grown industrial powerhouses.