Overview
- The Mittal family and Adar Poonawalla announced a definitive agreement on Sunday to buy Rajasthan Royals and its sister teams for about $1.65 billion.
- The US consortium led by Kal Somani began preparing legal action on Monday after its earlier negotiations with the franchise collapsed.
- In a statement Tuesday, the Somani group denied any funding shortfall and alleged the sale process lacked transparency.
- If the sale completes, the Mittal family would hold about 75% of the franchise, Poonawalla about 18%, and existing investors about 7%, with founder Manoj Badale staying on the board.
- The transaction requires approvals from India’s cricket board and competition regulator and targets a Q3 2026 close, underscoring rising IPL values following March’s $1.78 billion Royal Challengers Bengaluru sale.