New Delhi: Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of the Serum Institute of India, has indicated a potential interest in acquiring a stake in Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

On Wednesday, Poonawalla took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his views on the team's investment appeal, stating: "At the right valuation, @RCBTweets is a great team..." The franchise is currently owned by United Spirits, a subsidiary of the Diageo group.

RCB recently clinched their first-ever IPL title under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, defeating Punjab Kings in the final of the league’s 18th edition. However, celebrations turned tragic on  June 4, when a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium resulted in the deaths of 11 people and injuries to more than 50 others. An estimated crowd of nearly 300,000 had gathered for the victory parade.

In the aftermath of the incident, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) held RCB accountable, prompting increased speculation regarding a possible sale of the franchise.

Fuel was added to the fire on Tuesday by Lalit Modi, the IPL's inaugural commissioner, who publicly suggested that the time may be ripe for a change in RCB’s ownership. Writing on X, Modi stated, "There have been a lot of rumours about the sale of an @IPL franchise, specifically @RCBTweets – well, in the past they have been denied. But it seems the owners have finally decided to take it off their balance sheet and sell it. I am sure having won the IPL last season and also with its strong base of fans and off course the Team itself and a great management team – it could be the only Team which would be available as a whole as an #ipl franchise." 

He further speculated that global investors would be lining up to make a bid. "I am sure one of the Big Global funds or a Sovereign Fund would desperately like to have them as part of their investment strategy and India strategy. There can be no better investment opportunity I could think of then this one. Good luck to whoever can get their hands on to it... That new price that #rcb sets will become the new floor price for all teams," 

"I am sure #citibank will do a great job auctioning the team to prospective buyers," he added.

The potential sale of RCB would mark another significant shift in IPL franchise ownership. The most recent such change saw the Torrent Group—an Indian conglomerate with interests in energy and pharmaceuticals—acquire a 67% controlling stake in the Gujarat Titans. In that deal, Irelia retained a 33% minority share.