(Image source from: PTI)

Will the Royal Challengers Bengaluru change its name since a new group has taken over? This is a question many are asking after a group led by the Aditya Birla Group acquired the entire ownership of the IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a staggering 1.78 billion USD, which is about 16,706 crore INR, from the current owner, United Spirits Limited. Other members of this group include Blackstone's ongoing private equity strategy, BXPE, headed by CEO Viral Patel, Bolt Ventures owned by American investor David Blitzer, and the media group Times of India. RCB is one of the eight original franchises in the IPL, having been part of the league since it started in 2008. They clinched their first IPL title in 2025. However, based on a post by Ananya Birla, who is well-known within the Aditya Birla Group, it seems that RCB will keep its name. Ananya shared an Instagram story that indicated there would be no change to the team's name.

Regarding the major sale of RCB, which has made it the most expensive team in the IPL, United Spirits Limited released a statement: "Today, after a meeting of our Board of Directors, United Spirits Limited confirmed that it has signed agreements for the sale of its 100 percent ownership in Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) to a group. " The group includes Aditya Birla Group, Times of India, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone's ongoing private equity strategy, BXPE, for a total of 166.6 billion INR in a cash deal," the statement stated. This deal includes both the men's and women's teams of RCB. "RCSPL is the owner and operator of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchises that compete in the Indian Premier League and Women's Premier League.

"Once this deal is finalized, the consortium will gain the rights to own and run the IPL and WPL franchises through its ownership of RCSPL," stated the United Spirits Limited. The announcement also marked the end of the strategic evaluation of RCSPL that USL started on November 5, 2025.