What looked like a smooth ownership transition has now turned into a high-stakes dispute around the future of Rajasthan Royals. Even though a new deal has been announced, tensions are rising behind the scenes.
On Sunday, a powerful consortium led by Lakshmi N Mittal, Aditya Mittal and Adar Poonawalla confirmed that they had reached a final agreement to acquire Rajasthan Royals along with sister teams Paarl Royals and Barbados Royals. The deal is valued at around $1.65 billion (Rs 15,660 crore), making it one of the biggest transactions in cricket franchise history.
However, the situation is far from settled. A US-based consortium led by Kal Somani, which had been in advanced talks for a similar deal, is now considering legal action after missing out at the last moment. Reports suggest the group has already held internal discussions with legal and public relations teams in the United States and may soon take formal steps.
Sources indicate that the group is actively preparing its response and could issue legal communication immediately, showing how serious they are about challenging the outcome. There is also a chance that the BCCI could involve if the dispute escalates.
One reported reason for the breakdown of the Somani deal was that the group allegedly did not complete payment within a one-month exclusivity window. However, Somani’s side strongly disagrees with this version. Backed by major investors like Rob Walton and the Hamp family, they insist that funding was never a problem and they were close to finalising the purchase.
According to their claims, the delays actually came from the franchise side, especially related to paperwork and documentation. They say negotiations continued until the very end but key formalities were not completed on time. The group also raised multiple concerns during discussions, including clarity on BCCI dues and the status of ongoing legal matters, suggesting there were many unresolved questions.
Another major point of disagreement was the role of existing lead owner Manoj Badale. The Somani-led group reportedly did not want him to continue, while the final deal with the new investors keeps him in an important position.
With both sides presenting completely different versions of events, the issue could grow into a major legal battle. The Somani group is still deciding how publicly they want to address the matter, especially since legal proceedings may follow.
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