The Indian Premier League returns March 28, as RCB’s ownership deal puts Aryaman Birla in spotlight
An Aditya Birla Group-led consortium, including Times Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone, has acquired RCB from USL
The RCB deal values the franchise at $1.78 billion, among Indian cricket’s biggest-ever transactions
Meet Aryaman Birla: Former Cricketer Now RCB Chairman After Mega IPL Deal
Aryaman Birla takes charge as RCB chairman after a major ownership deal, marking a shift in IPL’s growing business landscape
Aryaman Birla RCB New Chairman Twitter
Summary
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) returns on March 28, but even before the season begins, a major ownership shift at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has brought Aryaman Birla into the spotlight following the franchise deal.
A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group, along with the Times Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone’s private equity strategy, has acquired the franchise from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo.
The deal values RCB at $1.78 billion or roughly ₹16,600 crore, making it one of the biggest franchise transactions in Indian cricket and reflecting the IPL’s rising commercial strength. Once the deal receives approvals from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the IPL Governing Council and other regulators, it will take effect after the 2026 season.
Under the new ownership structure, Aryaman Birla, director at the Aditya Birla Group, will take over as chairman, while Times Group executive Satyan Gajwani will serve as vice-chairman.
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The consortium also includes Bolt Ventures founder David Blitzer and Viral Patel, chief executive officer of Blackstone’s private equity strategy, strengthening the global investor presence in the league.
Who Is Aryaman Birla?
Aryaman Birla, son of industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, is not only a business leader but also a former cricketer. He played domestic cricket for Madhya Pradesh and made his first-class debut against Odisha in November 2017, opening the innings with Rajat Patidar.
Aryaman's standout moment came during the 2018 Ranji season, when he scored an unbeaten century against Bengal, an innings that brought him into the spotlight and that performance led to his selection in the IPL, where Rajasthan Royals (RR) picked him up for ₹30 lakh in the 2018 auction, although he did not feature in a match.
Aryaman currently serves on the board of Aditya Birla Management Corporation and plays an active role across group companies such as Grasim Industries and Aditya Birla Fashion.
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He holds an MBA with honours from Harvard Business School, along with a Master’s in Global Finance from Bayes Business School and a Commerce degree from the University of Mumbai.
What It Means for RCB?
Aryaman Birla stepping in as chairman puts him in charge of one of the IPL’s biggest teams, marking a clear move from his cricketing days to a key leadership role.
His rise from domestic cricket to running an IPL franchise also shows how the league is now shaped as much by big money and investors as by the matches on the field.