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CCI clears Lakshmi Mittal family, Poonawalla consortium's $1.65B cricket franchise acquisition

India's antitrust regulator CCI has approved the Mittal-Poonawalla consortium's acquisition of three cricket franchises valued at ~US$1.65B, with a 75/18/7 ownership split.

01 / What happened

What happened

CCI approved the Mittal-Poonawalla consortium's acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals, and Barbados Royals for ~US$1.65B

India's antitrust regulator CCI has approved the Lakshmi Mittal family–Adar Poonawalla consortium's acquisition of Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals, and Barbados Royals, a deal valued at approximately US$1.65 billion.

The ownership split follows a 75/18/7 structure — 75% Rajasthan Royals, 18% Paarl Royals, 7% Barbados Royals.

This clearance is the final regulatory gate before a Q3 2026 close.

Deal ValueTotal acquisition value for three cricket franchises
~US$1.65 billion
Ownership SplitRajasthan Royals 75%, Paarl Royals 18%, Barbados Royals 7%
75/18/7
Timeline

Timeline

2026 — CCI clears the Mittal-Poonawalla consortium's acquisition of three cricket franchises, the final regulatory gate before Q3 2026 close.

  • Sep 2026 — CCI clearance granted
  • Q3 2026 — Expected deal close
02 / Why it matters

Why it matters for me

Three cricket franchises will change ownership ahead of Q3 2026 closing

Money

Opportunity · Direct · High

Sports Investors · Business Executives

US$1.65B cross-border cricket investment signals continued confidence in sports franchise valuations

Work

Cultural-impact · Direct · High

Cricket Fans

New ownership group (75/18/7) takes over three franchises, changing team governance

Daily Life

Regulatory-change · Indirect · Medium

General Public

CCI clearance sets precedent for future sports franchise acquisitions in India

03 / The one thing

What to remember

The one thing
CCI clearance is the last regulatory gate for a US$1.65B cricket deal

CCI cleared the Mittal-Poonawalla consortium's US$1.65B acquisition of three cricket franchises — Rajasthan Royals, Paarl Royals, Barbados Royals.

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Verified sources (2)

Evidence behind the crack
Official/The Hindu

CCI clears Lakshmi Mittal family, Poonawalla's purchase of Rajasthan Royals, 2 other cricket franchises

PrimaryPublished Sep 18, 2026Accessed Sep 18, 2026
Reporting/Times of India

Mittal-Poonawalla consortium wins Rajasthan Royals bid after Somani's failed offer

CorroboratingPublished Sep 18, 2026Accessed Sep 18, 2026

Claims and linked sources

4 claims
FactVerifiedHigh confidence

CCI approved the Mittal-Poonawalla consortium's acquisition of three cricket franchises

Linked evidence
NumberVerifiedHigh confidence

Deal valued at approximately US$1.65 billion with 75/18/7 ownership split

Linked evidence
FactVerifiedHigh confidence

Somani consortium's earlier US$1.63 billion bid for the same franchises failed

Linked evidence
FactVerifiedHigh confidence

CCI clearance is the final regulatory gate before Q3 2026 closing

Linked evidence

Community signals

Signal-only · not reporting
CricketInvestor @CricketInvestorx

“Mittal-Poonawalla group ke saath cricket franchises mein bada investment aa raha hai — CCI clearance se deal fast ho sakta hai”

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