According to a report in The Indian Express, the sale of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has reached its final stages, with two major parties now leading the way. One potential buyer is Swedish private equity firm EQT, which has placed a significant bid. The other contender is a consortium comprising Manipal Hospitals' Ranjan Pai, US-based private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), and Singapore's Temasek Investment Group.

Names that have dropped out of the race
Several high-profile players initially showed interest, such as Manchester United co-owner Adar Poonawalla of the Glazers, but both parties have withdrawn from the auction. Sources now say the deal is worth around $2 billion, which is INR 16,600 crore.

The bidding war for RCB is intensifying.
Reports further indicate that the Glazers submitted a non-binding offer of $1.8 billion, while EQT has raised its bid to close to $2 billion. Currently, no major bids have been received, but the sale process is expected to turn into a full-blown bidding war.

March 31 deadline
Those in the know have said that RCB's current owners - Diageo - have set March 31 as the deadline to finalise the transaction.

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