the Glazers have submitted an offer of around £1.32 billion
The Glazer family, Manchester United’s owners, have reportedly bid £1.3 billion to buy an IPL side, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals firmly in their sights.
Avram Glazer, a co-owner of Manchester United and the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also has established business interests in cricket.
Through his company, Lancer Capital, Glazer owns Desert Vipers, a franchise in the UAE’s ILT20 tournament, and has long sought entry into India.
That ambition was first tested in 2021, when the Glazers failed to secure either of the IPL’s two expansion franchises. Those teams ultimately became Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans, following aggressive bids from rival groups.
Despite that setback, the Glazers have remained undeterred and is now pursuing stakes in both Bengaluru and Rajasthan.
According to State of Play, the Glazers have submitted an offer of around £1.32 billion for Bengaluru.
The bid, made through Lancer Capital, places them among the highest of nine competing parties.
Bengaluru are the reigning IPL champions across both the men’s and women’s competitions, increasing their commercial appeal.
The Glazers are also competing to buy Rajasthan Royals, whose sale process is reportedly one step ahead.
A second bidding round for the Royals is approaching, potentially forcing swift decisions from interested parties.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India rules prohibit multi-franchise ownership within the IPL structure.
If successful, the Glazer family would therefore need to choose between Bengaluru and Rajasthan.
The Cricket Monthly previously reported that the Glazers’ 2021 bids ranked lowest among all contenders.
The family now appears determined not to miss out again, as the IPL continues to surge commercially.
The IPL is widely regarded as the world’s biggest and most lucrative T20 competition.
Reports have also suggested Avram Glazer hoped to leverage the Manchester United brand within cricket.
Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum tweeted in March 2022 that he had met Glazer and discussed “the UAE T20 Cricket league’s launch in Jan 2023 featuring Manchester United cricket team and other teams”.
That proposal failed to materialise due to copyright issues, but interest in cricket ownership has not waned.
The IPL is not the only Indian opportunity previously explored by the family.
Indian cricket legend Sourav Ganguly revealed in 2022 that the Glazers had held takeover talks with Indian Super League side East Bengal.
The Glazer family has owned Manchester United since 2005 and has faced sustained fan opposition throughout that period.
In February 2024, they sold a 26.2% stake to Sir Jim Ratcliffe for £1.3 billion.
The British petrochemicals billionaire now oversees the Premier League club’s day-to-day operations.
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