Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla Expresses Interest in Acquiring IPL Team Royal Challengers Bangalore

New Delhi. Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, has expressed his desire to buy the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). On Thursday, via the social media platform X, Poonawalla announced that he intends to submit a strong and competitive bid for RCB. 

He had previously stated last October that RCB would be an excellent team if the right price were offered. This statement comes as multinational liquor company Diageo moves forward with the process of selling its stake in RCB. 

According to the information provided by Diageo to the Indian market regulator SEBI, it is currently conducting a strategic review of Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited, the parent company that owns RCB. This process is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026.

RCB was the second most expensive team when the IPL was established in 2008, purchased for $111.6 million. Recently, RCB's performance has been quite impressive. The men's team won its first IPL title in 2025, while the women's team won the WPL title in 2024 and is currently at the top of the points table in the 2026 season.

However, there is still uncertainty regarding whether RCB will be allowed to play at its home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, for the IPL 2026 season. This is due to the stampede outside the stadium following celebrations for RCB's victory last Ashar, which resulted in 11 deaths, making the hosting of matches there uncertain due to security concerns.