Two COVID-19 deaths in Karnataka, toll now 35; 28 positive cases take count to 987
Bengaluru: With two more deaths, COVID-19 related fatalities rose to 35 in Karnataka and 28 new positive cases were confirmed, taking the total number of infections to 987, as the state tested over 7,000 samples on Thursday.
"...the number of samples tested today, is highest so far. We have tested 7,195 samples," Minister S Suresh Kumar, who is the spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters.
A total of 1,28,373 samples were tested, out of which 7,195 were tested on Thursday alone. So far 1,26,766 samples have reported negative, 7,097 today,he said.
The state, which recently crossed the milestone of one lakh COVID-19 tests, plans to boost its testing capacity with 60 labs by end of this month and to conduct 10,000 tests per day.
"As of 6:00 PM on May 14, cumulatively 987 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 35 deaths and 460 discharges," the health department said in its bulletin.
Out of 491 active cases, 482 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while nine are in ICU.
Nine patients have been discharged on Thursday.
The two deceased include a 80-year-old woman from Dakshina Kannada who got admitted to a private hospital with complaint of stroke.
As she tested positive for COVID-19, she was shifted to the ICU of a designated hospital in the district on April 26 and died today due to septic shock.
Also, a 60-year-old man from Ananthapur in Andhra Pradesh, admitted to a dedicated hospital in Bengaluru Urban with features of severe pneumonia, among others, died today due to cardiac arrest.
The 28 new cases include seven from Bidar, five each from Mandya and Bengaluru urban, four from Gadag, three from Davangere, two from Kalaburagi, and one each from Belagavi and Bagalkote.
Among the new cases, five are children.
From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru urban with 189 cases, followed by Belagavi 114, Mysuru and Davangere 88.
Out of total 460 patients discharged, maximum 97 are from Bengaluru urban, 86 from Mysuru, 46 from Kalaburagi.
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Aditya Birla Group-led consortium acquires RCB for USD 1.78 billion
Bengaluru (PTI): A consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) on Tuesday acquired 100 percent equity stake in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a whopping USD 1.78 billion (approximately Rs 16,706 crore) from its current owner the United Spirits Limited.
Other parties involved in the group are -- Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE, a firm of which Viral Patel is the CEO, Bolt Ventures, owned by American investor David Blitzer, and media conglomerate Times of India.
“United Spirits Limited, pursuant to the meeting of its Board of Directors, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements for the sale of the 100 percent equity stake held in its wholly owned subsidiary Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited (RCSPL) to a consortium,” the USL said in a statement.
“The consortium comprises Aditya Birla Group (ABG), The Times of India Group (Times), Bolt Ventures (Bolt), and Blackstone’s perpetual private equity strategy, BXPE (Blackstone) for a total consideration of INR 166.6 bn in an all cash transaction,” the statement added.
The transaction includes RCB's men’s and women’s (WPL) teams.
“RCSPL owns and operates Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchises that participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL).
“Upon completion of this transaction, the consortium will, through its ownership of RCSPL, acquire the rights to own and operate the IPL and WPL franchise,” said the USL.
The announcement also concluded the strategic review of RCSPL that was initiated by USL on November 5, 2025.
The United Spirits Limited is a subsidiary of UK-Diageo, and they were keen to move away from RCB as the team was not central to their business plans.
Commenting on the transaction, Praveen Someshwar, MD & CEO, USL, said: “This transaction marks an important milestone for USL as we sharpen focus on our core beverage alcohol business to unlock its true potential. RCB has grown into the most prominent and commercially successful franchise in the IPL and WPL.
“We are excited for the future of RCB under the stewardship of the new owner. As Sports enters a new phase of growth in India & globally, we believe this is in the best interest of the franchise and our stakeholders.”
Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “Over the past 2 decades, the IPL has morphed to become a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket creating enormous value for India.
“RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport.”
As per the sale agreement, Aryaman Vikram Birla, ABG’s director, will be the chairman of RCB while Satyan Gajwani of Times of India will be his deputy.
Aryaman Birla, said: “It is a privilege to come together in this partnership to shape the next phase of growth for RCB. This partnership brings together a deep understanding of sports, media and consumer businesses.
“Together, we will continue to Play Bold -- on the pitch, in the community, and for the fans who make RCB what it is.”
Gajwani, Chairman, Times Internet Limited, said: “RCB is the reigning champion and the most popular brand in the IPL. We will build RCB into a global sporting institution, while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fanbase.”
Blitzer hoped to build on RCB’s recent success.
“RCB has a world-class fanbase, and the IPL is one of the great growth stories in global sport. Having invested in clubs and leagues around the world, I believe the opportunity at RCB stands out.
We look forward to working alongside our partners and the BCCI to build on the franchise’s championship success,” he said.
Patel praised the RCB as one of the strongest sporting brands in the world.
“We are excited to invest in RCB, building on Blackstone’s long-standing commitment to India. RCB stands out as one of the most popular sports franchises in the world with a powerful brand, a loyal fan base, and multiple avenues for growth,” he added.
However, formalities such as ratification from the BCCI, IPL Governing Council, its WPL counterpart and the Competition Commission of India are still pending.
Earlier, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals was acquired by US-based Kal Somani-led consortium for USD 1.63 billion (approx Rs 15,290 crore),
The Somani-led consortium includes Rob Walton from the Walmart family and Hamp family (Ford motor company).
Somani is an Arizona-based tech entrepreneur who has founded IntraEdge (technology services and solutions), Truyo.Ai (data privacy rights and AI governance) and Academian (edtech services).
The other contenders to buy the team, which won the inaugural trophy in 2008, were the Times Internet-led consortium, the Aditya Birla Group and the Mittal family led by ArcelorMittal CEO Aditya Mittal.
