Who is Manoj Badale, the owner of the Rajasthan Royals team?
Apart from owning the RR team, the 55-year-old is also the co-founder of Blenheim Chalcot, which is the UK's leading digital venture builder.
Manoj Badale
Manoj Badale is the owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR), which has been a part of the cash-rich league since the inception of IPL back in 2008. Under the legendary Shane Warne, RR became the champions of the inaugural season, but that was the only trophy the Pink brigade lifted.
Badale was born on December 31, 1967, in Dhule, Maharashtra, India, and went to the Jai Hind High School for his primary education. Later he went to the Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, to study economics. He got married to Katie Yirrell, who is from Briston, UK, and has three children- Hari Badale, Asha Badale, and Ravi Badale. As per other reports, his net worth is $160 million in 2023.
Apart from owning the RR team, the 55-year-old is also the co-founder of Blenheim Chalcot, which is the UK’s leading digital venture builder. He is also the chairman of the British Asian Trust which is a charity organization, founded in 2007. On June 9, 2018, Badale was conferred with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for his services to the economy and charity. Notably, he has co-founded many businesses since 1998, and most of them are technology based.
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Manoj Badale owns a 65% stake in Rajasthan Royals
RR is owned by Manoj Badale’s Emerging Media IPL Ltd and holds a 65% stake. During the initial years, he did not hold much but slowly increased them, and in 2021 his company increased it from 51% to 65%.
Apart from him, Lachlan Murdoch and RedBird Capitals Partners are the other stakeholders. RedBird Capitals owns a 15% stake, while Murdoch’s share has not yet been disclosed. Emerging Media and RedBird is founded by former Goldman Sachs partner Gerry Cardinale. The late Shane Warne also holds a 3% stake.
However, the franchise found itself in trouble several times in the past. There was a controversy surrounding the ownership of the franchise. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not know about the other two shareholders- Ranjit Barthakur ( current chairperson) and Fraser Castellino. Then they faced suspension for two years (2016 and 2017) over the infamous 2013 betting scandal. But the Pink jersey made a comeback in the 2018 season.
After the first win in IPL 2008, fans slowly started writing them off because of their lackluster performances, but in 2022, they emerged as the runners-up under the leadership of the young wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, and with the help of Jos Buttler‘s scintillating knocks. They faced Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans in the final.
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