RCB up for sale: Adar Poonawalla 'frontrunner' to buy IPL team? What we know so far United Spirits Limited has put the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), up for sale, and Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of Serum Institute of India, has emerged as the frontrunner to buy. They are planning to buy entire USL stake of the franchise. New Delhi:United Spirits Limited, the company that owns the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has put the Indian Premier League (IPL) up for sale. It was also rumoured earlier this year in June that Diageo was open to a sale of RCB but they had categorically denied the speculations then.