Virat Kohli’s RCB creates HISTORY, becomes first team to have brand value of over Rs 29840000000, Dhoni’s CSK and MI at…

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have become the first-ever cricket team to have brand value of over $300 million in the history of the game.

Published: July 29, 2026, 5:15 PM IST

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the IPL title in the last two season. (Photo: IANS)

Two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have plenty of reasons to celebrate even after the successful IPL 2026 campaign. RCB have won back-to-back IPL titles in the last two year and have been bought by Aditya Birla Group-led conglomerate for $1.78 billion ahead of the IPL 2027 season.

Virat Kohli’s RCB have now created a new record by becoming the first-ever IPL franchise to top $300 million or Rs 2870 crore in brand value. The IPL’s business enterprise, on the other hand, has climbed to $20.6 billion in brand value, according to study released by global investment bank Houlihan Lokey.

The bank’s 2026 Brand Valuation Report said the IPL’s value grew 11.4 per cent year-on-year to $20.6 billion, marking a second successive year of double-digit growth for the T20 franchise league.

Brand Value of IPL Franchise in 2026:
(Houlihan Lokey)

RCB = US$ 312 Million
MI = US$ 264 Million
KKR = US$ 245 Million
CSK = US$ 244 Million
SRH = US$ 168 Million
RR = US$ 161 Million
PBKS = US$ 158 Million
GT = US$ 157 Million
DC = US$ 156 Million
LSG = US$ 122 Million

… pic.twitter.com/93Xfo5aZw2

— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) July 29, 2026

The league’s stand-alone brand value also rose by 10.3 per cent to $4.3 billion. Since 2023, the IPL has added more than $1.1 billion in brand value, according to the report. RCB, who beat Shubman Gill’s Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final earlier this year, retained their top spot among IPL franchises with a value of $312 million or Rs 2984 crore, a massive 16 per cent jump from $269 million in 2025. They have become the first cricket team to breach the $300 million milestone.

Reliance Group’s Mumbai Indians remained second with a brand value of $264 million, followed by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders ($245 million) and Chennai Super Kings ($244 million).

Here is brand value of IPL teams…

The study noted that landmark ownership transactions during the year further strengthened the league’s commercial appeal. RCB was acquired by a consortium comprising Blackstone, Bolt Ventures, Aditya Birla Group and Times of India Group at a reported valuation of $1.78 billion while Rajasthan Royals have new owners at a reported valuation of $1.65 billion.

According to official broadcaster JioStar’s data, which has been cited in the study, the 2026 season reached 1.06 billion screens, with overall viewership increasing seven per cent year-on-year.

“I always believed the IPL would become one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world. I just didn’t think it would happen this quickly,” said Punjab Kings co-owner Ness Wadia, whose franchise’s valuation has grown from $76 million in 2008 to $158 million in 2026.

“Today, when you see institutional investors looking at franchises and global capital entering the space, it validates the conviction we had back in 2008,” he added.