What will happen to Virat Kohli as RCB owners confirm the date for sale of franchise

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been put up for sale, and it’s been confirmed by the owners themselves. The franchise’s parent company Diageo, which owns both the IPL and WPL teams of RCB, has started the process to sell its stake and has even announced the date for the completion of the deal.

The confirmation came directly from Diageo and its Indian subsidiary United Spirits Ltd (USL) in a formal disclosure to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) on Wednesday, November 5, as reported by Cricbuzz. The company described the move as a “Strategic Review of the Investment in Royal Challengers Sports Pvt. Ltd. (RCSPL)”, which fully owns the RCB teams in both men’s and women’s leagues.

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“USL is initiating a strategic review of the investment in its wholly owned subsidiary, RCSPL. RCSPL’s business comprises ownership of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise teams that participate in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) cricket tournaments hosted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) annually,” the company said in a statement.

The company added that the sale process is expected to be completed by March 31 next year. The move comes just months after RCB’s maiden title win in the Indian Premier League, which boosted its brand value. Last year, RCB had won the Women’s Premier League as well.

Why Diageo is selling RCB

According to the report, the company has been under pressure from shareholders to focus only on its main business areas, and RCB doesn’t fit into that plan.

The report adds that several major groups have already shown interest in buying RCB. The Adani Group, the JSW Group, Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, and Ravi Jaipuria of the Devyani International Group are among those who are reportedly interested in buying the franchise.

What it means for Virat Kohli and RCB fans

The big question now is what happens to Virat Kohli, the face of the franchise since its inception in 2008. Kohli has been the team’s biggest icon and has remained loyal to RCB even when other players switched franchises. The Indian star has said on several occasions that he will only leave the franchise when he retires.

Kohli’s contract as a player is with the franchise itself and not with Diageo, which means a change in ownership should not affect his place in the team. However, any new ownership group could bring a different management and direction for the team, which may or may not align with Kohli, and he might seek a change.

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