Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) remained in the spotlight throughout the IPL 2025 season. The team delivered an impressive performance and, for the first time in 18 years, lifted the trophy—earning praise from all corners. However, after their historic win, RCB has found itself in the midst of controversy. The stampede incident in Bengaluru on June 4 has reportedly affected the franchise’s brand value. Amid this, rumours surfaced suggesting that RCB’s ownership could be up for sale. But the franchise owners have now firmly denied any such plans.
RCB is owned by the Indian arm of the UK-based Diageo PLC. Diageo India has clearly rejected the reports about selling the franchise. On Tuesday (June 10), a Diageo India official sent a letter to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and its surveillance department, calling the media reports about a possible sale “mere speculation.” This confirms that the current owners have no intention of selling the RCB team.
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According to Cricbuzz, Mittal Sanghvi, Company Secretary at Diageo India, informed the Indian stock market regulator: “The company would like to clarify that the above media reports are speculative in nature, and we are not engaged in any such discussions. This is for your information and records.” Following the media reports about RCB’s potential sale, fluctuations were seen in the stock market. As a result, BSE had reached out to RCB’s owners via email, prompting this official response from Diageo India.
For your information, Bloomberg had published a report on Tuesday claiming that Diageo was exploring options to sell the RCB franchise. The report came in the backdrop of RCB’s first-ever IPL title win (on June 3), and the tragic incident in Bengaluru a day later (June 4), where 11 people lost their lives and many were injured during the celebration.
