The Billion-Dollar Powerhouses Behind Every Franchise
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been as much a celebration of business acumen as it has been of cricket. Heading into the 2025 season, the ownership roster is a heady cocktail of global private-equity giants, cement-to-oil conglomerates, media barons, Bollywood superstars and first-generation entrepreneurs. Below is the most comprehensive, up-to-date “IPL Team Owners List 2025”, unpacking who really writes the cheques, how much they are worth, and what their strategic playbooks look like.
1. Mumbai Indians (MI)
Owner / Parent Entity: Nita & Mukesh Ambani → Reliance Industries Ltd.
Net Worth 2025: US$ 92–95 billion (₹ 7.7 trillion)
Year Acquired: 2008 (original eight)
Key Decision Makers: Nita Ambani (Co-owner & Chairperson, Reliance Foundation), Akash & Isha Ambani (Board directors)
Why They Matter: Still the IPL’s most successful franchise (5 titles) and its most valuable brand (≈ $120 m). Ambani’s Jio ecosystem—5G, streaming, merchandising—gives MI unmatched fan-engagement bandwidth. Expect them to lead the bidding table again in the next mega-auction.
2. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Owner: United Spirits Limited (USL), a Diageo plc subsidiary
Net Worth Parent: Diageo market-cap ≈ $ 95 billion; USL standalone ≈ $ 11.9 billion
Year Acquired: 2008 (Vijay Mallya era) → Diageo took full control 2016
Chairman (RCB): Prathamesh Mishra (also CCO, Diageo India)
Why They Matter: Finally broke their title jinx in 2025, defeating Rajasthan Royals in a last-ball thriller. Diageo’s global liquor portfolio (Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Royal Challenge) provides cross-border activation; the brand value crossed $ 117 million this year.
3. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Owner: Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd. (India Cements → N. Srinivasan family)
Net Worth Promoter: ≈ $ 10 billion (₹ 83,000 cr)
Year Acquired: 2008 (original)
Key Figure: N. Srinivasan (MD, India Cements)
Why They Matter: The “Dad’s Army” narrative is dead—CSK won their fifth crown in 2023 and remain playoff regulars. Srinivasan’s cement empire plus the new Chepauk redevelopment (28,000 → 50,000 capacity) keep cash registers ringing.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Owners: Shah Rukh Khan (Red Chillies Entertainment), Juhi Chawla & Jay Mehta (Mehta Group)
Combined Net Worth 2025: ≈ $ 770 million (₹ 6,400 cr)
Year Acquired: 2008
CEO: Venky Mysore
Why They Matter: The only IPL brand with serious Hollywood-Bollywood crossover appeal. KKR also owns Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC) and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20), making them the most globalised franchise.
5. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Owner: Kalanithi Maran → Sun TV Network Ltd.
Net Worth: ≈ $ 5.3 billion (₹ 44,000 cr)
Year Acquired: 2012 (re-branded after Deccan Chargers termination)
Front-office Face: Kavya Maran (CEO)
Why They Matter: Sun’s 32 TV channels and FM stations across South India give SRH a free-media buffet. After a 2016 title and consistent bowling production line, SRH’s brand value touched $ 154 million in 2025.
6. Delhi Capitals (DC)
Owners: Joint venture — GMR Group (Grandhi family) & JSW Sports (Jindal family)
Combined Net Worth: ≈ $ 10–11 billion (GMR $ 3.2 B + JSW $ 7.7 B)
Year Acquired: 2008 (as Delhi Daredevils) → re-branded 2019
Key Operators: Parth Jindal (JSW), Kiran Grandhi (GMR)
Why They Matter: A perennial young-gun roster finally reached its first final in 2020; new 42-acre Dwarka stadium plan (55,000 capacity) approved by Delhi govt. Expect a valuation spike once the venue breaks ground.
7. Punjab Kings (PBKS)
Ownership Consortium:
- Mohit Burman (Dabur) – 48%
- Ness Wadia (Wadia Group) – 23%
- Preity Zinta – 23%
- Karan Paul (Apeejay Surrendra) – 6%
Combined Net Worth: ≈ $ 700 million (₹ 5,800 cr)
Year Acquired: 2008
Why They Matter: The league’s most colourful dug-out. Despite zero titles, PBKS pulled the biggest purse into the 2025 auction (₹ 110 cr) and are front-runners for the next title push. Dabur’s FMCG muscle aids sponsorship inventory.
8. Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Majority Owner: Manoj Badale (Blenheim Chalcot) – 65%
Minority: Lachlan Murdoch (18%), Amisha Hathiramani, Ryan Tkalcevic, Shane Warne Estate
Net Worth Controlling Group: ≈ $ 500 million (₹ 4,150 cr)
Year Acquired: 2008 (original)
Why They Matter: The 2008 fairy-tale champions are the IPL’s data-driven Moneyball outfit. Royals also run SA20’s Paarl Royals and MLC’s Texas Super Kings (jointly with CSK), giving American exposure.
9. Gujarat Titans (GT)
Owner: Irelia Sports India Pvt. Ltd. → CVC Capital Partners (global PE)
Firm AUM 2025: € 182 billion (≈ $ 195 B)
Year Acquired: 2022 (expansion team)
Key Executives: Steve Koltes, Donald Mackenzie, Rolly van Rappard
Why They Matter: Titans became the first—and still only—franchise to win IPL in its debut season (2022). CVC’s deep pockets + professional governance model keep them title contenders every year. Brand value crossed $ 69 million inside three seasons.
10. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
Owner: RPSG Sports Pvt. Ltd. → Sanjiv Goenka (RPSG Group)
Net Worth Promoter: ≈ $ 4.5–6.5 billion (₹ 37,500–54,000 cr)
Year Acquired: 2022 (expansion team)
Why They Matter: Goenka already owned Rising Pune Supergiant (2016-17) and Durban Super Giants (SA20). LSG reached playoffs in both its first two seasons and carries a valuation north of $ 100 million. The 2025 captaincy switch to Rishabh Pant has added fresh star power.
Net-Worth Scoreboard – 2025 Ranking of IPL Owners
| Rank | Owner / Entity | Team(s) | Est. Net Worth (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CVC Capital Partners | Gujarat Titans | $ 195 B (AUM) |
| 2 | Reliance Industries | Mumbai Indians | $ 92–95 B |
| 3 | Sun TV Network | Sunrisers Hyderabad | $ 5.3 B |
| 4 | RPSG Group | Lucknow Super Giants | $ 4.5–6.5 B |
| 5 | GMR + JSW | Delhi Capitals | $ 10 B (combined) |
| 6 | Diageo (via USL) | Royal Challengers B’lore | $ 95 B (Diageo) |
| 7 | India Cements | Chennai Super Kings | $ 10 B |
| 8 | KKR Consortium | Kolkata Knight Riders | $ 0.77 B |
| 9 | PBKS Consortium | Punjab Kings | $ 0.70 B |
| 10 | Royals Group | Rajasthan Royals | $ 0.50 B |
What’s Next? Ownership Trends to Watch
- Private-Equity Invasion: CVC’s success has piqued interest from KKR, Blackstone, Silver Lake. BCCI may allow up to 30% institutional float in existing franchises.
- Women’s IPL (WPL) Synergy: Every male-franchise owner (except PBKS) has already bought a WPL side—expect shared data, coaching and sponsorship stacks.
- Overseas Portfolios: MI, KKR, RR and SRH now own teams in SA20, MLC, The Hundred and CPL, turning IPL owners into trans-Atlantic sporting conglomerates.
- Valuation Tipping Point: With the next five-year media cycle (2028-32) set to go under the hammer in 2026, early estimates peg average franchise worth at $ 1.5 billion—treble today’s median.
Bottom Line
The 2025 IPL ownership table is no longer a rich Indian’s playground—it is a carefully diversified, globally financed chessboard where cricket is only one of the revenue lines. Whether it is CVC’s €182-billion firepower or Shah Rukh Khan’s entertainer charisma, each owner brings a distinct edge that keeps the league financially bullet-proof and perpetually glamour-soaked. Keep this list bookmarked; the names may stay the same, but the numbers will only get bigger.