Big money shifting around two cricket teams caught global attention this week. Not just any sale – Royal Challengers Bengaluru went fully into new hands when an Aditya Birla Group backed group stepped in Tuesday. That deal closed at 1.78 billion dollars, close to 16,706 crores in local currency. Ownership passed from United Spirits Limited without delay. Around the same time, another team, Rajasthan Royals, found buyers too. An American alliance guided by Kal Somani paid 1.63 billion dollars, about 15,290 crores. Names behind that purchase include Rob Walton, linked to Walmart, plus members of the Ford-connected Hamp clan. Together, these franchises now sit above a combined worth of 31,000 crores. Few saw numbers like this coming so fast.

Starting off strong, Parth Jindal, who owns part of Delhi Capitals, sees big gains ahead. Not holding back, he claims every franchise could hit between 4 and 5 billion US dollars within ten years. That range lands around 37,600 to 47,000 crore rupees. With time moving forward, his view points upward sharply.

“In both the deals, whether it was Rajasthan Royals or RCB, it was an unbelievable valuation. I entered the IPL in 2019 when I took a 50 percent stake in the then Delhi Daredevils, which is now the Delhi Capitals. I had a tough time convincing my father that we should spend Rs 550 crore for a 50 percent stake. Now I look like a genius,” Parth Jindal said at a forum

That time the media rights hit fifty thousand crore rupees marked when IPL stepped into its own. Numbers on screens show what eyes already know. To matter in Indian media today means facing up to the IPL challenge. For brands aiming at attention across India, joining the IPL game isn’t optional – it just is. Women’s Premier League arriving changed everything, quietly but completely. What stands out about sports now is how they’re treated like stable investments. Right now, steady audience numbers come mostly from the IPL, which makes it highly desirable. It’s rare – just ten teams make up the league. That kind of shortage drives demand. Owning even one franchise feels within reach for many deep-pocketed buyers. A decade from now, each team hitting four or five billion dollars wouldn’t shock anyone

Now worth more than any other franchise in the league, RCB hits a financial high point through an agreement led by a group that brings together BXPE – Blackstone’s long-term equity play headed by Viral Patel – alongside David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures and the media giant Times of India. This latest shift pushes the team past previous value records set in the IPL.