New RCB Owner Aryaman Birla Once Played for Rajasthan Royals — His Ranji Century and Cricket Career Explained

Add as a preferred source on Google

Aryaman Vikram Birla is widely known today as a business leader within the Aditya Birla Group and a key figure in the consortium set to acquire Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But before stepping into corporate leadership, Aryaman Birla pursued a professional cricket career and even represented Rajasthan Royals at the IPL level.

The 28-year-old left-handed batter once aimed to build his identity in cricket independent of his family name, becoming one of the rare billionaire heirs to play competitive domestic cricket in India.

Aryaman Birla Cricket Career: Teams, Debut And Playing Role

Born on July 9, 1997, in Mumbai, Aryaman Birla is a left-handed opening batter who also bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin.

He moved to Madhya Pradesh as a teenager to pursue professional cricket seriously, enrolling in district trials in 2014 after training stints in England with former Middlesex cricketer Paul Weekes.

Aryaman eventually made his First-Class debut for Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy against Odisha in November 2017.

He later became associated with Rajasthan Royals, joining the franchise setup during his IPL journey, although he did not feature prominently at the senior level.

Aryaman Birla Career Stats Across Formats

Aryaman's professional record includes appearances in both First-Class and List A cricket.

First-Class Cricket (Ranji Trophy)

Matches: 9
Innings: 16
Runs: 414
Highest Score: 103
Average: 27.60
Centuries: 1
Half-centuries: 1

His standout moment came during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, when he scored his maiden century- 103 not out against Bengal at Eden Gardens-helping Madhya Pradesh secure a hard-fought draw.

List A Cricket

Matches: 4
Runs: 36
Highest Score: 19
Average: 12.00

While primarily a batter, Aryaman also bowled occasionally, delivering slow left-arm orthodox spin in limited appearances.

Why did Aryaman Birla Leave Cricket?

In December 2019, Aryaman Birla announced an indefinite sabbatical from cricket, citing mental health challenges and severe anxiety related to the sport.

"I've felt trapped. I've pushed myself through all the distress so far, but now I feel the need to put my mental health and wellbeing above all else," he wrote in a public statement at the time.

His decision was widely discussed in Indian cricket circles, as it highlighted mental health struggles among young professional athletes.

He has not returned to professional cricket since January 2019.

Fact Check: Is Aryaman Birla The World's Richest Cricketer?

Claims suggesting Aryaman Birla is the world's richest cricketer with a net worth of ₹70,000 crore are misleading.

That figure is associated with his father, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group and one of India's wealthiest industrialists. Aryaman himself is a business executive and entrepreneur, but individual net worth figures attributed to him are not publicly confirmed at that scale.

From Ranji Batter To Business Leader And RCB Owner

Today, Aryaman Birla is transitioning from his cricketing past into a leadership role in global business and sports ownership.

With the consortium involving the Aditya Birla Group, Times Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone set to take over Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Aryaman is expected to serve as Chairman-bringing his unique experience as both a former professional cricketer and corporate leader into franchise management.

That dual identity-as a cricketer who once fought to prove himself and a businessman now shaping the future of one of the IPL's biggest teams-makes Aryaman Birla one of the most intriguing figures in modern Indian sport.