Ahead of IPL 2026, a major ownership change has taken place as a consortium led by US-based entrepreneur Kal Somani has successfully acquired the Rajasthan Royals franchise. Somani, known for his work across sports, technology, and data privacy sectors, will now lead the new ownership group. According to the reports of the Times of India, the consortium includes strong financial backing from prominent American business figures, including Rob Walton of the Walmart family and the Hamp family, who are majority owners of the NFL team Detroit Lions. Sheila Ford Hamp, who is also part of the group, belongs to the Ford family, which has significant stakes in the Ford Motor Company. The group reportedly secured the franchise with a massive bid of $1.63 billion (approximately ₹13,640 crore). The deal comes after months of discussions, as the previous owners had been exploring a complete sale of the franchise for nearly six months. ‘Excited for the future of IPL’ – Kal Somani expressed his goal after a huge investment Kal Somani had earlier expressed strong confidence in investing in the IPL, highlighting his long-term vision for the league. In 2021, he said, “We see huge potential with this investment and we are excited for the future of the IPL.” His statement reflected both optimism and belief in the rapid growth of franchise cricket on the global stage. Somani’s connection with sports is not new. He has been actively involved as the co-owner of Motor City Golf Club and was also an early investor in ventures like TMRW Sports and the TGL Golf League, showing his continued interest in expanding his footprint in the sports industry. RR won first edition of IPL, finished at 9th in 2025 season Rajasthan Royals were the first franchise to clinch the IPL trophy in the inaugural season under the captaincy of Shane Warne in 2008. Shane Watson (472 runs) was the highest run-getter for the side and Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir (22 wickets) finished the season as the leading wicket-taker. However, IPL’s record-breaking fastest century was scored in this season by Yusuf Pathan in 35 balls. In the last season, RR finished at the 9th position with 8 points, winning four out of 14 matches played as they had lost 10 games with finished with -0.549 NRR. Post navigation 11 seats at Chinnaswamy Stadium will always be kept empty:RCB, KSCA to honour stampede victims with memorial plaque
