United Spirits Issues Statement On RCB Sale Reports: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) owners, British company Diageo Plc, which owns the team through its Indian branch United Spirits Ltd., released a statement after social media was filled with rumours about selling part or all of the IPL team.
United Spirits Issues Clarification on Stake Sale
For the unversed, United Spirits’ share price rose by over 3% on Tuesday after reports claimed that its parent company, Diageo, might be planning to sell its stake in the IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Social media was filled with rumours, with many people guessing that the company wanted to take advantage of RCB’s win in IPL 2025. However, United Spirits responded by denying these claims.
In a statement to the Bombay Stock Exchange and the BSE Surveillance Department, the company said:
“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.”
A tragic incident occurred last Wednesday when around 2.5 lakh fans gathered in and around Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium to see their favourite players. The massive crowd led to a stampede that left 11 people dead and 56 injured.
After the tragedy, A. Shankar and E.S. Jairam stepped down from their roles as secretary and treasurer of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), saying they were taking “moral responsibility” for what happened. Meanwhile, Nikhil Sosale, the marketing head of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, was arrested on June 6.
Lalit Modi Slams Authorities Over Mismanagement
Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has strongly criticised the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team and the Karnataka government after a tragic stampede during the team’s victory parade left 11 people dead and several others injured.
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In an exclusive interview with IANS, Lalit Modi shared his sympathy for the victims’ families and blamed the tragedy on poor planning.
“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 said.
“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.”
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