Royal Challengers Bengaluru

About

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, commonly abbreviated as RCB, is a premier professional cricket franchise based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women's Premier League (WPL). The franchise was originally established in January 2008 when businessman Vijay Mallya purchased the Bangalore team rights for 111.6 million USD on behalf of United Spirits Limited, making it the second-highest bid of the inaugural league auction. The team was named after the company's flagship liquor brand, Royal Challenge, and established its historic home ground at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Following Mallya's departure from India in 2016 due to financial defaults, sole management and ownership of the franchise transitioned fully to United Spirits Limited, a subsidiary of the global beverage giant Diageo. Under the long-standing captaincy and figurehead presence of Virat Kohli, RCB cultivated one of the largest, most fiercely loyal, and digitally engaged fanbases in global sports, despite enduring a celebrated championship drought during its initial years where they finished as runners-up in 2009, 2011, and 2016.

The franchise underwent a historic golden era and transformation in the mid-2020s. Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar and coaching of Andy Flower, RCB captured its long-awaited maiden IPL championship title in 2025, followed by back-to-back domestic crowns. Concurrently, the women's team achieved major success by securing multiple WPL trophies. In early 2026, United Spirits Limited fully exited its sports portfolio, selling 100% equity of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited to a high-profile corporate consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group, alongside The Times Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone, for a record-breaking 1.78 billion USD, marking the highest valuation for a franchise in IPL history.

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