With a few days to go into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener, the sale of franchises Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have taken centre stage. RR, the champions of the inaugural season, have been sold for USD 1.63 billion to a US-based consortium led by Kal Somani which is Rs 15,290 crore approximately. While RR's valuation is close to RCB's USD 1.78 billion, Royals' former captain Shane Warne is making headlines for his visionary move.
The legendary Australian leg-spinner Warne had revealed that he had asked for 0.75 per cent equity in RR for every season he played. Warne did not just captain Royals but was also their mentor and coach since he had retired from international cricket. As RR has been sold for a huge amount, Late Warne's family may get Rs 460 crore (over 70 million Australian dollars) as part of the deal.
“Part of my deal… they asked me to be the captain, coach and run a cricket team the way I wanted… I was the one-stop shop,” Warne had said in an interview with The Herald Sun in 2019.
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“Three per cent of USD 400 million is all right,” he had said about the valuation of the franchise seven years ago.
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The transaction is currently subject to approval by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The franchise will be handed over to Kal Somani-led consortium after the 2026 season. Warne's family is yet to make a comment on the developments.
Not just Warne, but BCCI is set to benefit from the sale of the franchise as well. BCCI will earn approximately 765 crore which is five per cent of the entire transaction.
What was Rajasthan Royals' original valuation?
It is to be noted that Manoj Badale-led consortium bought the Royals franchise in 2008 for USD 67 million. The lowest-priced franchise had a fairytale run under the leadership of Warne who led them to the title win inaugural season, beating MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Ahead of the IPL 2026, RR have only one title win to their name. The last time they came close to the trophy was in 2022 edition under Sanju Samson's captaincy.