"Will put in a strong, competitive bid": SII CEO Adar Poonawalla announces plan to bid for RCB

New Delhi [India], January 22 (ANI): Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala on Thursday announced the decision to bid for the defending champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
RCB were officially put on sale following their title win in the 2025 season. Diageo, the owner of the IPL and Women's Premier League (WPL) franchise RCB, last year in November, said it is conducting a "strategic review" of its investment in the franchise through Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL), the parent company owning both sides, taking first steps towards divesting its stake in the franchise.
Taking to his X account, Poonawala wrote, "Over the next few months, will be putting in a STRONG and COMPETITIVE bid for @RCBTweets, one of the best teams in the IPL."

Over the next few months, will be putting in a STRONG and COMPETITIVE bid for @RCBTweets, one of the best teams in the IPL.

— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 22, 2026

As per ESPNCricinfo, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) last year, Diageo said it was conducting a "strategic review" of its investment in the franchise, which is expected to be completed by March 31 this year.
RCSPL is a fully owned subsidiary of United Spirits Ltd, which is owned by Diageo. The Red and Gold franchise has had two outstanding years in the past, winning the WPL title in 2024 and securing the IPL title in 2025, defeating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final.
RCB is among the most popular IPL franchises, primarily due to its marquee player, Indian legend Virat Kohli, and foreign stars like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Glenn Maxwell, and Faf Du Plessis, who have played for the franchise over the years.
When the tournament was launched in 2008, RCB was the second-most expensive franchise. Vijay Mallya, the then chairman of United Spirits, brought the franchise for 111.6 million US Dollars way back in 2007. He stepped down as the director of RCSPL in 2016, with Diageo becoming the sole owner of the company. (ANI)