(March 29, 2025) As the Indian Premier League (IPL) once again ignites cricket fever, Manoj Badale’s name stands out in the boardrooms behind the boundary ropes. Since 1998, the British Indian entrepreneur has co-founded several technology-focused businesses alongside his business partner, Charles Mindenhall. These ventures operate under their management company, Blenheim Chalcot, the UK’s leading digital venture builder. Manoj Badale is also the lead owner of the Rajasthan Royals, the T20 cricket franchise that clinched the inaugural IPL title in 2008.
He embodies a rare blend of sharp business acumen and unrelenting passion for the game. Born in Dhule, Maharashtra, and educated at Haberdashers’ Aske’s and later Emmanuel College, Cambridge, Badale’s journey reflects the quintessential diaspora success story. The former chairman for British Asian Trust was conferred the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his extraordinary contributions towards making a difference to the community.
With roots in a Marathi-speaking family and a professional footprint spanning the UK, Germany, and India, he has spent his career straddling borders, industries, and ideas.
The cricket entrepreneur
Long before the IPL transformed the sporting landscape, Badale was already tinkering with cricket entrepreneurship. In 2006, frustrated by what he saw as English cricket’s failure to adapt to a shifting economic and cultural center, he and his business partner Charles Mindenhall launched a television show in India called Cricket Star. They also tried establishing a Champions League for T20 cricket, and invested in commercial rights for Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
Though none of these experiments took off, they built valuable relationships and showcased Badale’s ability to anticipate trends, most importantly, the rise of short-form cricket and India’s growing dominance in the global game.
So, when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) accelerated the launch of the IPL after India’s 2007 T20 World Cup win, Badale got the call.
“When we were asked if we wanted to bid, it just felt like T20 was going to be huge, and India was the future of cricket, and we had to be in it,” he recalled in a podcast.
Alongside a consortium, Badale acquired the Rajasthan Royals. And in 2008, under the charismatic leadership of Shane Warne, the team impressed the cricketing world by winning the inaugural IPL title.
“Winning that first season was extraordinary,” he said. “It hasn’t happened again in 14 years — and that moment is hard to beat.”
Indian Premier League: Revolutionizing cricket since 2008
Established in 2008 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league that has revolutionized the sport. Featuring franchise teams representing various Indian cities, the IPL is renowned for its high-energy games, international player participation, and substantial financial investments, making it one of the richest sports leagues worldwide.
The league’s fast-paced matches, typically lasting around three hours, have captivated audiences worldwide, blending athleticism with entertainment. Beyond cricket, the IPL has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing sectors like entertainment and advertising, and contributing significantly to India’s economy. Its innovative approach has set new standards in sports management and fan engagement, inspiring similar leagues globally.
Building a global cricket ecosystem
Today, Badale isn’t just investing in the IPL. He’s also involved with Paarl Royals in South Africa’s SA20 League and the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League, creating what some have dubbed a “Royals cricketing empire.”
It’s a smart, long-term strategy to not only nurture a pipeline of talent but also to spread the Royals brand and business model across cricket’s evolving geographies.
Australia’s Steve Smith (front left), England Test captain Ben Stokes (front right) with Manoj Badale (back left) in 2023 | Photo Credit: BBC Sports
The IPL as a business laboratory
Badale’s dual role as venture builder and franchise owner gives him a unique perspective. Blenheim Chalcot, the venture firm he co-founded in 1998, is one of the UK’s leading digital venture builders. It works with the mission to launch, incubate, and scale technology-led businesses that transform industries, and to be the best place for great people to become great entrepreneurs.
His approach to the Royals reflects that ethos, evident in the Rajasthan Royals of the IPL and in other cricket franchises under the Royals banner that he invests in outside India.
We apply the same disciplines to the Royals that we do in our other businesses — from decision-making frameworks to data analytics and board cadences. When we stray from those fundamentals, things tend to go wrong.
Manoj Badale
The Royals are known in IPL circles for investing heavily in analytics — allocating nearly 15–20% of their player salary budget to data and technology.
The IPL auction, he added, is one of the most fascinating exercises in game theory in business. “You’ve got a fixed salary cap and you’re building a team live on TV. There’s planning, analytics, and game theory.”
Fan engagement, transparency, and the business of sport
Manoj Badale believes that sports, like startups, are ultimately about customers — in this case, the fans. “All that matters is on-field performance and engaged fans. If you don’t share the value you create with those two groups, it’ll catch up with you.”
While he’s not on social media himself, he acknowledges its growing importance, not just in driving engagement but in enabling behind-the-scenes storytelling and building community.
Sport is tribal, and social media supercharges that. It’s a second screen, a highlight engine, and a way for fans to stay connected even when they’re not in the stadium.
Manoj Badale
The entrepreneur believes that IPL is second only to the NFL in terms of per-game media value now. And with digital rights surging past TV, there’s still headroom to grow.
A diaspora mindset
Manoj Badale’s identity as a British Indian threads throughout his story. Educated in the UK, with ventures in India and beyond, he represents a new breed of diaspora entrepreneur — fluent in both Western capital markets and Indian consumer sensibilities.
Awarded the OBE in 2018 for services to the economy and charity, he’s also keenly aware of the role sport can play in shaping culture, bridging communities, and building global brands.
“Cricket’s competition isn’t just other sports. It’s gaming. It’s Netflix. It’s anything else competing for attention. If we want cricket to thrive, we’ve got to think like global businesses,” he remarked.
Giving Back
The entrepreneur’s philanthropic endeavours are deeply rooted in the South Asian community’s cultural emphasis on charity. As he notes, “Culturally the South Asian community places great importance on charity.” In alignment with this ethos, Badale co-founded the British Asian Trust (BAT) in 2007, alongside other British Asian business leaders and under the guidance of HRH The Prince of Wales. BAT focuses on addressing critical issues in South Asia, including education, livelihoods, anti-trafficking, mental health, and conservation.
Beyond his involvement with BAT, Badale has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to charitable causes. He served as the chairman of Operation Smile UK, a children’s charity dedicated to treating facial deformities such as cleft lips and palates worldwide. Additionally, he was a founding trustee of the Charity Technology Trust, further exemplifying his dedication to leveraging technology for social good.
Through these initiatives, Badale exemplifies the spirit of giving back, channeling his entrepreneurial success into meaningful philanthropic contributions that positively impact communities both in South Asia and globally.
Vision with heart
With Royals, the cricket entrepreneur has set the bar high. “Every time we’ve looked at new opportunities, we’ve come back to one question — is it worth the distraction? The Royals are still growing, and there’s so much left to do.”
With the IPL in full swing this season and a growing portfolio of cricket assets across continents, one thing is clear that Manoj Badale isn’t just building a cricket team. He’s building the future of the sport.
And like many of the best diaspora stories, his journey blends tradition with innovation, and above all, vision with heart.
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