Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted the IPL trophy in 2025 after anticipating the moment for the past 17 years. The moment indeed touched the hearts of the huge fan base of RCB. The team has a loyal support system who have followed this franchise for its passion and talent. Many of you might be aware that Royal Challengers Bengaluru was bought by Vijay Mallya, and he remained the owner of the team in the initial years, but do you know the reason behind it?
In a recent podcast, Mallya opened up about the reason for acquiring RCB
In a conversation on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Vijay Mallya revealed he didn’t buy RCB for his allegedly sensational lifestyle. He broke the silence after 9 years and answered questions related to his controversial career.
The businessman was asked why he decided to buy an IPL team, as it was an expensive and risky decision back in 2008. Vijay revealed that he was a member of the BCCI at that time from the Karnataka Cricket Association. Therefore, he was also present when Lalit Modi pitched the idea of IPL to the BCCI. Recalling the moment, he said,
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“I was very impressed with the pitch that Lalit Modi made to the BCCI committee about this league. He called me one day and said ok, teams are going to be auctioned. Are you going to buy it? So, I bid from three franchises, and I lost Mumbai by a very small amount of money.”
Vijay Mallya added that in the auction, he ended up becoming the highest bidder for three despite losing Mumbai. The businessman claimed that he wanted to buy an IPL franchise to promote his brands, Royal Challenge W**key and Kingfisher, and not due to his passion for cricket or to flaunt his flamboyant lifestyle. He shared that initially he intended to buy two teams for each brand, but was asked to only pick one. Since he had the option to choose one, Bangalore was his obvious choice.
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Discussing his bid, Vijay said,
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“I think 112 USD is what I did (nearly 600-700 crore in 200). In hindsight, if you look at it, then do the math, it was a top-class investment.”
Vijay Mallya revealed his reason for picking young Virat Kohli for RCB back in 2008
Virat Kohli is now the face of Royal Challengers Bangalore. He is the only player in the history of IPL who has stayed loyal to the same franchise from the beginning. For 9 years, Kohli has been the captain for RCB and has been the highest run-scorer in the whole league with more than 8,000 runs, 8 centuries, and 63 half-centuries.
But when the cricketer was picked in the IPL team, he did not have any of these achievements. Sharing the reason of selecting a young Virat in 2008, Vijay said,
“Shortly before the actual selection process, they were playing the U-19 World Cup, and I was very impressed with him. So, I picked him, and it’s wonderful, 18 years later he is still there. He was a young kid at that time when I got him, but you know, full of energy, great talent, and you know, one of the greatest Indian cricketers ever.”
Does Vijay Mallya still own RCB?
Reportedly, Vijay Mallya named RCB after his w***key brand, Royal Challengers. He sponsored it through his other brands, like Kingfisher. However, in 2016, he had to step down from USL due to legal issues. Now, the team is owned solely by USL, which is now operated under the global brand Diageo.
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Also read: Meet The Current Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Owners After Vijay Mallya’s Exit
What are your views on Vijay Mallya’s revelations? Let us know in the comments.
