In a groundbreaking all-cash deal worth USD 1.78 billion, a consortium of Indian and global businesses has acquired Royal Challengers Bengaluru, making it one of the most expensive franchise acquisitions in cricket history. United Spirits Limited (USL), the current owner of RCB in both the IPL and WPL, confirmed the agreement, with the buying group including the Aditya Birla Group, Blackstone’s BXPE, Bolt Ventures led by David Blitzer, and Times of India Group. The deal is pending approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, after which the consortium will officially take over the franchise, with Aryaman Birla appointed as the new chairman of RCB.
Aryaman Birla, son of industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, had previously pursued a professional cricket career before transitioning into business leadership. After taking a break from cricket due to anxiety, Aryaman moved into the corporate world, obtaining degrees from Harvard Business School and Bayes Business School. Now, seven years later, he returns to cricket in a leadership role, expressing excitement for the future of RCB.
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