Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, two of the eight founding teams of the Indian Premier League back in 2008, have found new suitors ahead of the start of the 2026 season of the tournament.

Rajasthan Royals, the team that won the first edition of the tournament, has been acquired by the Kal Somani-led consortium for a sum of USD 1.63 billion dollars (around INR 15,250 crore). The consortium comprises the Walmart family and Ford Motor company.

Last year's champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which features arguably the biggest face in men's cricket in India, Virat Kohli, has been acquired by a consortium led the Aditya Birla Group for USD 1.78 billion (around INR 16,700 crore). 

The previous owners United Spirits announced that it sold 100 percent equity stake in the team to a consortium comprising Aditya Birla Group (ABG), The Times of India Group (Times), Bolt Ventures (Bolt), and Blackstone's perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone) for a total consideration of INR 166.6 billion in an all cash transaction.