Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine provider. Poonawalla is internationally lauded worldwide as a life-saving vaccine developer and is making waves across the world on cricket playing fields. Via X (formerly Twitter), he announced on 22 January 2026 that he would compete for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), a franchise. It introduces a new era of ambition to the team in the future, global awareness and financially significant sway.
A Franchise at Its Peak
This was no by-product, at the perfect moment. RCB has never been as valued after an extraordinarily successful 2025 season.
IPL 2025 Champions: Virat Kohli and the men contested at the final faced off against Punjab Kings in a competitive match following 18 years waiting to lift the trophy. At the same time, RCB at present accounts for the most successful brand in Indian franchise cricket with the women’s side also winning a tournament.
The $2 Billion Valuation: The current owners United Spirits (Diageo) are seeking a valuation of roughly $2 billion, possibly the largest in sports history.
Why Adar Poonawalla?
At 45, Poonawalla is not new to bold moves. He oversaw production of billions of vaccines as the CEO of the Serum Institute, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic. The career of the aspiring physician (turned entrepreneur) running two professional sports leagues is also a tale of diversity and a game that people love.
Poonawalla’s first remarks, RCB was “one of the best teams in the IPL.” But to millions of fans who were “bleeding red,” joining the bid brings the prospect of more domination and a swifter and grander funding to sustain their beloved icons such as Virat Kohli and Smriti Mandhana.
What’s Next for RCB?
For the sake of clarity, Diageo is doing a strategic review of its non-core assets and tenders will probably ramp up in the coming months. But when other titans (Hombale Films, we know, as speculation has it) are hurrying to the next stage also, the race to stealing the spirit of Bengaluru feels more thrilling than ever.
In medicine and life or a world-class cricket team, one thing is certain: Adar Poonawalla is prepared to play his part in shaping the India that he wants to leave as a legacy.
