India, May 5 -- The US-based Kal Somani-led consortium on Tuesday alleged a lack of transparency and integrity after losing the bid to acquire the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals to the group led by industrialist Lakshmi N. Mittal.

In a joint statement issued by Somani, Rob Walton (Walmart Group) and Sheila Ford Hamp (Ford Group), the consortium said it was "deeply disappointed and surprised" by the outcome, while denying reports that it had withdrawn from the bidding process. The group asserted that the final result did not reflect a "level playing field".

According to the franchise, the Somani-led group had pulled out of the race, paving the way for the Mittal family-along with Aditya Mittal and vaccine manufact...