India, March 24 -- Former India captain Sourav Ganguly responded to reports of Rajasthan Royals being sold, with the inaugural champions reportedly picked up by a US-based consortium led by Kal Somani for USD 1.63 billion (around INR 15,290 crore), marking one of the biggest deals in IPL history.

The sale of RR is still subject to clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is likely to come into effect after the 2026 season. Manoj Badale, who owns a 65 per cent stake, has seen the franchise's value rise sharply over the years. The Royals were among the cheapest teams when the league began, having been purchased for just USD 67 million in 2008 through Emerging Media, making the current valuation a remarkable jump.

Gangu...