Former India captain Sourav Ganguly responded to reports of Rajasthan Royals being sold, with the inaugural champions reportedly picked up by a US-based consortium led by Kal Somani for USD 1.63 billion (around INR 15,290 crore), marking one of the biggest deals in IPL history.
The sale of RR is still subject to clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is likely to come into effect after the 2026 season. Manoj Badale, who owns a 65 per cent stake, has seen the franchise’s value rise sharply over the years. The Royals were among the cheapest teams when the league began, having been purchased for just USD 67 million in 2008 through Emerging Media, making the current valuation a remarkable jump.
Ganguly reflected on the rapid rise of the IPL following the recent developments around the RR sale, highlighting how the league’s growing valuation and global investor interest underline its expanding footprint beyond India.
“It (IPL) is only going to greater heights. I have been hearing RCB is also on sale. I don’t know what has happened to that. It’s great news for IPL. I played the first ball of the IPL in 2008, RCB vs KKR. We smashed them at Chinnaswamy Stadium and I faced the first ball. To see IPL grow to these heights is phenomenal. It also goes to show the game expanding, and some of the buyers are from America, and the game is going to that part of the world with interest, especially Indian cricket, it is fantastic,” Ganguly said while addressing reporters at an event in Noida.
“Mind-boggling numbers for a franchise”
Meanwhile, another major IPL franchise, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is also up for sale, and the value of that deal is likely to cross USD 2 billion.
Ganguly further underlined the staggering financial boom of the Indian Premier League, expressing awe at the soaring franchise valuations while drawing bold comparisons with global giants like the National Basketball Association (NBA) and top football competitions.
“It’s mind-boggling numbers for a franchise and a cricket team which plays three months a year, but great news for Indian cricket and the way forward. I think it’s already as big as the NBA. The broadcast rights are as big as anywhere in the world, even compared to football,” he said.
