Dutch pacer Paul van Meekeren has recently been a vocal advocate for the Associated Nations to bridge the gap between full members. After selling Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a staggering USD 1.78 billion (Rs 16,660 crore), the pacer said 0.5 per cent of that value would be enough to improve Dutch cricket and become a force in international cricket.
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The reigning IPL champions have bagged a multi-discipline consortium on Tuesday, March 24. The Netherlands recently competed in the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup, where they gave Pakistan a big scare and performed well against India, but eventually crashed out in the group stage with just one win in four matches. Following a strong performance by the affiliate sides in the tournament, the players have been vocal in calling for more appearances against the big sides. Oman captain Jatinder Singh was one of them and the Dutch captain Scott Edwards also urged the ICC to provide more co-op cricket in addition to being part of major events.
Van Meekeren said that a small part of the money RCB can help Dutch cricketers and work to make cricket more global.
“If they could give 0.5% @KNCBCricket we could close the gap between full members and make the sport much more global @RCBTweets,” Van Meekeren tweeted. Credit: Van Meekeren X
WHY WAS RCB SOLD?
RCB’s former owners, United Spirits Limited (USL), the Indian arm of British liquor giant Diageo, launched a strategic review of its entire stake in November. The Bengaluru franchise was deemed “non-core” to its core liquor business, prompting the company to cash in on soaring league valuations. Investment bank Houlihan Lokey recently valued the IPL at a whopping $18.5 billion, buoyed by booming team revenues and lucrative media rights deals.
The sale of RCB was the second major sale that took place on Tuesday when a US-based consortium acquired Rajasthan Royals for USD 1.63 billion (Rs 15,342 crore). A consortium led by businessman Kal Somani, backed by the families behind Walmart and Ford, has secured a bid to own the inaugural IPL champions.
RCB’s sale comes days before the start of IPL 2026 against SRH in Bengaluru on March 28.
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Published on:
25 March 2026 08:08 IST
