NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s remarkable run of success has found a new admirer in Blackstone chairman and co-founder Stephen Schwarzman, who grabbed attention on social media after celebrating the franchise’s back-to-back IPL triumphs by sporting the team’s jersey.
Schwarzman shared a picture of himself wearing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru colours during Blackstone’s weekly internal “BXTV” meeting.
“Had to sport a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) jersey on our internal weekly ‘BXTV’ meeting for Blackstone employees after the team just won back-to-back IPL titles,” Schwarzman wrote.
Blackstone celebrates RCB success
The American billionaire also thanked Amit Dixit, Head of Asia for Blackstone Private Equity, and underlined the investment giant’s confidence in India.
“We’re proud to invest in the franchise as part of our broader conviction in India,” Schwarzman added.
The post came soon after Virat Kohli and company successfully defended their IPL crown by defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the 2026 final in Ahmedabad. Kohli’s unbeaten 75 guided RCB to their second title.
Part of a billion-dollar investment
Schwarzman’s public show of support comes only months after Blackstone became part of the consortium that acquired 100 per cent of Royal Challengers Bengaluru from United Spirits Limited, a subsidiary of Diageo plc.
The acquisition, announced in March 2026, involved the Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE.
The deal valued the Bengaluru franchise at Rs 166.6 billion (around USD 1.78 billion) and included both the men’s IPL team and the women’s side.
RCB’s women’s team has also enjoyed significant success, winning the Women’s Premier League titles in 2024 and 2026. The franchise became the first to simultaneously hold both the IPL and WPL crowns.
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