IPL 2026: Will Royal Challengers Bengaluru's name change with a new group acquiring it? Everyone has been thinking about this question after the Aditya Birla Group-led consortium bought a 100 per cent equity stake of the franchise for a whopping USD 1.78 billion (about Rs 16,706 crore) from its owner, United Spirits Limited.
Since the historic deal, social media is abuzz with RCB fans speculating whether their favourite team will get a new name. However, Ananya Birla, the daughter of Kumar Mangalam Birla and an important figure in the Aditya Birla Group, has put the speculations to rest. Ananya Birla, who is also the sister of Aryaman Birla, reposted a photo on her Instagram stories mentioning that "RCB's name will not change."
RCB is one of the eight IPL teams that have been a part of this tournament since the first edition. They lifted their maiden IPL title last year. The franchise was acquired for Rs 16,700 crore earlier this week by a consortium comprising Aditya Birla group, Blackstone's perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE, Bolt Ventures, owned by American investor David Blitzer, and the Times of India group.
Speaking about this huge RCB sale, USL released a statement calling RCB the most expensive IPL team ever. It said: "United Spirits Limited, following a Board of Directors meeting, announced definitive agreements to sell its 100 percent equity stake in Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) to a consortium."
ALSO READ: Pat Cummins Eyes Mid-Season Comeback For SRH In IPL 2026 Following Back Injury
"The consortium comprises Aditya Birla Group (ABG), The Times of India Group (Times), Bolt Ventures (Bolt), and Blackstone's perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone). The total consideration is INR 166.6 bn in an all-cash transaction," the statement further said.
Both the men's and women's teams of the RCB are a part of this transaction.
"RCSPL owns and operates the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises that participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women's Premier League (WPL). Upon completion of this transaction, the consortium will acquire the rights to own and operate the IPL and WPL franchise through its ownership of RCSPL," the statement concluded.
The announcement concluded with a strategic review of RCSPL, which USL initiated on 5th November last year.