Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has firmly rubbished rumours linking him to a possible takeover of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) — the 2025 IPL Champions. The political heavyweight dismissed the speculation with a mix of sarcasm and clarity, stating he has no interest or time for cricket franchise ownership.
Responding to media chatter, Shivakumar said, “I am not a mad man. I’m just a member of the Karnataka Cricket Association from my younger days, that’s all. I don’t have time, though I had offers to be part of the management.”
Injecting humour into his denial, the Deputy CM added: “Why do I need RCB? I don’t even drink Royal Challenge.”
The rumour mill had recently gone into overdrive following unverified media reports that linked Shivakumar to an alleged deal involving RCB’s ownership stake, currently held by British liquor conglomerate Diageo Plc.
However, Diageo India was quick to set the record straight. In an official communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the BSE Surveillance Department on June 10, the company strongly denied any talks of a sale.
“The company would like to clarify that the aforesaid media reports are speculative in nature and it is not pursuing any such discussion. This is for your information and records,” said Mital Sanghvi, Company Secretary of Diageo India, as reported by Cricbuzz.
