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RCB’s owners denied selling the IPL franchise.
Fans gather to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketers (Picture credit: AP)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) owners, British distillery Diageo Plc through its Indian subsidiary, United Spirits Ltd., issued a statement after social media was abuzz with reports of sale of part or all of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise
“This has reference to your email communication dated 10th June 2025 seeking clarification from the Company on media reports in relation to potential stake sale of RCB. The Company would like to clarify that aforesaid media reports are speculative in nature and it is not pursuing any such discussions,” United Spirits told the Bombay Stock Exchange and BSE Surveillance Department.
Tragedy struck last Wednesday when approximately 2.5 lakh fans gathered in and around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars, leading to a stampede that resulted in 11 fatalities and 56 injuries.
Following the incident, A. Shankar and E.S. Jairam resigned from their positions as secretary and treasurer of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), respectively, taking “moral responsibility” for the tragedy. Meanwhile, Nikhil Sosale, marketing head of Royal Challengers Bangalore, was arrested on June 6.
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has strongly criticised the RCB franchise and the Karnataka state government for the tragic stampede.
“First and foremost, my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the stampede. This should never have happened. The entire event was poorly planned and executed,” Modi told IANS.
“There is so much mudslinging and finger-pointing going on, but the issue is simple — the event should never have been allowed without proper arrangements in place. The authorities failed, and the team management should also have ensured fan safety before participating in the so-called celebrations.”
Modi criticised the event further, saying, “The poor fans who died or were injured were simply passionate about the game and their team. They deserved better. This tragedy will haunt the RCB franchise and the players involved in the celebrations forever. Mark my words — even one death or injury is unacceptable. Heads must roll.”
He emphasised the need for accountability and prioritising fan safety, adding, “The value of life and well-being of fans must be paramount. But sadly, it seems no one really cares. The government should have done far more to ensure the event was organised safely. We’ve seen major events across India handled successfully — why not this one?”
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket, having cov… Read More
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