IPL franchise Ownership

Detailed Franchise Ownership & Evolution

A complete history of the 10 IPL franchises and their ownership journey

1. Mumbai Indians (MI)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

Reliance Industries (Mukesh Ambani & Nita Ambani) for $111.9 million (approx. ₹839 crore) — highest bid in the inaugural auction.

Ownership Evolution:

Ownership has remained completely unchanged under Reliance’s sports arm, Indiawin Sports Pvt. Ltd.

2. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

India Cements (N. Srinivasan) for $91 million.

Ownership Evolution:

Transferred to Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL) in 2014-15 to resolve conflict of interest. Returned under CSKCL following a 2-year suspension (2016-2017).

3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

UB Group (Vijay Mallya) for $111.6 million.

Ownership Evolution:

• 2008–2016: Vijay Mallya / UB Group.
• 2016–2025: United Spirits Limited (Diageo Group).
• 2026 Onward: Acquired by an Aditya Birla Group-led consortium (including Times of India Group & Blackstone) for $1.78 billion.

4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

Red Chillies Entertainment & Mehta Group (Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Jay Mehta) for $75.1 million.

Ownership Evolution:

Stable ownership; Shah Rukh Khan (55% majority) and Mehta Group have retained ownership from day one.

5. Delhi Capitals (DC)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

GMR Group (G.M. Rao) for $84 million (originally Delhi Daredevils).

Ownership Evolution:

In 2018, JSW Sports bought a 50% stake for ₹550 crore, forming a 50-50 joint venture and renaming the team to Delhi Capitals.

6. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

Emerging Media IPL Ltd (Manoj Badale) for $67 million.

Ownership Evolution:

• 2009–2015: Shilpa Shetty & Raj Kundra held 11.7% stake (later forfeited).
• 2018–2025: Emerging Media consolidated majority stake alongside RedBird Capital.
• 2026 Onward: Franchise acquired for $1.63 billion by a consortium featuring Lakshmi Mittal family & Adar Poonawalla.

7. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

Founded: 2013

Original Buyer (2008):

Deccan Chargers originally bought by Deccan Chronicle Holdings for $107 million.

Ownership Evolution:

After Deccan Chargers was terminated in 2012, Sun TV Network (Kalanithi & Kavya Maran) won the bid in late 2012 and launched SRH in 2013.

8. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Founded: 2008

Original Buyer (2008):

KPH Dream Cricket consortium (Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman, Karan Paul) for $76 million.

Ownership Evolution:

Ownership remains unchanged; rebranded from Kings XI Punjab to Punjab Kings in 2021.

9. Gujarat Titans (GT)

Founded: 2022

Original Buyer (2022):

Global private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for ₹5,625 crore ($750 million).

Ownership Evolution:

CVC Capital remains the lead owner alongside strategic investments with local Indian partners.

10. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Founded: 2022

Original Buyer (2022):

RPSG Group (Sanjiv Goenka) for a record ₹7,090 crore ($940 million).

Ownership Evolution:

Owned and operated directly by Sanjiv Goenka under RPSG Sports Pvt. Ltd.