With Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) winning the IPL 2025 trophy after 18 long years, Vijay Mallya, the founder of the franchise in 2008, in an exclusive interview with RevSportz, talked about his raw emotions of seeing RCB lift the trophy, the journey of Virat Kohli with RCB, how his failed bid of Mumbai got him Bengaluru, Lalit Modi’s initial pitch about the tournament, the celebrations outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium that turned tragic, the growth of IPL and much more.
Here are the excerpts:
Q) Serious things first, what is your reaction to what happened outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium?
Vijay Mallya: I have been deeply saddened by the fact that people lost their lives and were injured. Those who came to celebrate a joyous, momentous achievement never went back home. That was a tragedy in every sense. Now who is to blame? There should be accountability but who’s to blame is something I cannot comment on. It’s just a tragedy that it happened and I have sent my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Now I read the media and what I’m told is that this stampede occurred outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium. There was an absolute ocean of people. I couldn’t believe what I saw on the television right from the HAL airport and that outpouring of fan support was very heartwarming to me, particularly, until this unfortunate tragedy happened. So we shall wait along with everybody else to find out details of the investigation. I believe the government of Karnataka have commissioned a court of inquiry and well, that’s not going to bring life back but at least those affected, the bereaved families would have some idea of what took away their loved ones.
Q) After 18 long years, the trophy is back home. What were your raw emotions during that last over? We saw Virat Kohli breaking down in tears during the last over but what was happening inside your room, in your heart? Explain those moments to us.
Vijay Mallya: Well, the minute the last ball was bowled, I guess my emotional reactions were similar to those of Virat. You know, I mean, when I founded RCB, when I bought the franchise and I think I was the first one to bid and buy a franchise and obviously Bangalore, I named the team Royal Challengers and obviously it was with the objective of clinching that IPL trophy. Did I think it would take 18 years? Absolutely not. We tried everything, different combinations of players, impact players, marquee players, but somehow that trophy eluded us. I remember very much season two in South Africa, we were in the finals. I think we were almost there but never got there. Every time in a big final, your team loses, it is a heartbreak. But after 17 successive heartbreaks over such a long period of time, I mean, that pent up energy, that pent up emotion of joy, obviously was overwhelming. I have often heard it’s not over till it’s over. Even that last over from Hazlewood, I refused to take anything for granted. I knew that theoretically 36 runs are possible in one over. I was there in Durban watching Yuvraj Singh hit those six sixes off Stuart Broad. But as each ball passed, obviously, I knew that we were getting closer and closer until of course, the final ball, which was hit for a six, I knew that we had won the trophy. So yeah, after 18 years, to see that IPL trophy in the hands of RCB was as if, you know, that was an achievement that I set out to actually achieve, but it took a lot, lot longer than anybody thought it would.
Q) Can you give us details of why Bangalore, why RCB? Because if I recall correctly, you went after the Mumbai franchise initially as well. You did not get it. But then Bangalore, you are the local Karnataka boy. That feeling of setting out a team, a local franchise, such a huge tournament. Did you ever feel that IPL will become what it has become in 2025?
Vijay Mallya: When IPL was conceived, I remember my meetings with Mr Sharad Pawar and with Lalit Modi. The way Lalit presented the opportunity of the IPL and he had, of course, engaged a professional sports marketing group, IMG, as well. I mean, I took to it almost immediately. It impressed me. I said, I need to be a part of this. Now, I have always believed in sports franchises. I have always believed in building brand equity through sports franchises, not just in cricket. You probably recall McDowell Mohun Bagan and Kingfisher East Bengal. It was the same ethos. It was the same objective. And so I said, all right, this has got to be Royal Challengers Bangalore. And you’re right. I did bid for more than one because at that time, nobody knew what others would bid. It was all sealed. And I would have hedged my bets. So if I needed to hedge my bet, what better franchise than Mumbai, the commercial capital of India? But no, when I got Bangalore, I was delighted, thrilled, you know, my hometown.
Yes, so that was how Royal Challengers Bangalore was born. But of course, I am deeply grateful. I’m overwhelmed by the fan support. When I read the other day that RCB has the highest number of Instagram followers of any franchise, 20 million, you know, it was very, very gratifying because from the day we started, we started with a dedicated concept of fan engagement. So this dedicated concept of fan engagement was not just for the two and a half month IPL period when games were played. This is right through the year. So we tried to keep engagement with RCB fans right through the year. This was an initiative that was started back then. You know, Mr. Nags and the humour that goes with it. I mean, all this started a long, long time ago. And that’s why I guess RCB has the kind of fan support that it enjoys. But what overwhelmed me even more was the emotion. It’s all very well to have fans in numbers. But these fans are emotionally attached to RCB, which is the most gratifying part.
Q) Even in Ahmedabad, RCB fans were out there from 12 noon onwards. Out of one lakh people, 90,000 must have been RCB fans.
Vijay Mallya: That was something that I saw. That itself was overwhelming. It just kind of supports the fact that there is an emotional connection. There is a love affair between RCB and its fans.
Q) Along with founding RCB in 2008, you gave a platform to a young star who has now become the greatest, perhaps the biggest cricketer of this generation at least, Virat Kohli. Delhi had an opportunity to get him, but they did not. They passed on. What was the thought process behind getting Kohli and why Kohli? Because you had the option of getting others as well.
Vijay Mallya: I have always believed that cricket is all about runs. Not to say that I mean that batting is more important than bowling, but it’s all about runs. If you can’t score runs in the first place, you can’t win. Now, I had not seen a lot, but I certainly had heard a lot about this young, supremely talented boy called Virat Kohli, who was part of the India Under-19, who had just won in Australia. So it was just natural when my turn came to pick, I didn’t even look at anybody else. I said, Virat Kohli. And that’s what started it. At the end of the day, at that moment, I knew I had picked a supremely talented player. I didn’t realise that I had picked what was arguably going to be the world’s best batsman.
Q) Have you enjoyed this journey of Virat Kohli to the top of the pinnacle?
Vijay Mallya: Well, absolutely. I watched him play white-ball cricket. I watched him play red-ball cricket. I watched him as captain of India. Of course, I watched him as captain of RCB. But at the end of the day, I mean, it’s magical. I mean, that’s why he is so respected and loved across the world. I mean even in England, when Virat Kohli comes out to bat, I mean, even the local British people applaud him. That applause is appreciation for his greatness. But what is even more important to me is he stayed with RCB right through 18 years, and has never, ever played for another franchise. I mean, that itself speaks for commitment. That is true passion. And, you know, everybody at RCB and all the fans must thank him for that passion and attachment.
Q) Do you recall the first conversation with Virat Kohli after RCB got him on board?
Vijay Mallya: It’s funny that you asked me this question. In the last 48 hours, the number of people who have sent me photographs of Virat as a kid when I picked him, I think in the first day he adorned an RCB jersey, and if you look at Virat, baby face Virat in those days as compared to today, I mean, he’s a good looking guy. But yes, I mean, with age comes maturity, with performance comes greatness. And he has matured in every way since.
Q) You mentioned Yuvraj’s six sixes in Durban… RCB have had a history with him as well with the kind of amount that was spent for Yuvraj. Can you recall that bid?
Vijay Mallya: Yuvraj is also a friend of mine and a friend of my son Sid’s. I mean, he’s one of the greatest white-ball players ever. I mean, as I told you, the fact that he smashed six sixes in Durban, in front of my own eyes, shows his talent. So in this 20-over format, I mean, he would obviously be a very sought-after player. And well, I bought him, then we released him with every intention of buying him back at the auction and hoping to save a little bit of money. But it went the wrong way and we had to spend a little bit more. But nevertheless, we brought him back into the team. That’s how much we rated him. That’s how much we wanted it. But, you know, I’ve had the privilege of picking Christopher Gayle, AB de Villiers, I mean, these are legends of all time.
Q) Lalit Modi has said on record that the first match between KKR and RCB gave the boost IPL required on the very first day… RCB were on the wrong side of that Brendon McCullum knock. Do you recall how it all took off from that evening?
Vijay Mallya: I recall it very, very vividly. And if Lalit Modi says that is what made IPL, you’re very right. It must have made the IPL at my cost. You know, please understand, 18 years ago, white-ball cricket per se was in its infancy. People looked at the line-up of the RCB and called it a Test team. You know, not meaning any disrespect to the players at that time, but we were more familiar with players’ performances in the Test format and not so much in a 20-over format. Of course, things have evolved and changed dramatically over the last 20 years. Today, there are white-ball specialists and there is a big differentiation between red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket. And the talents, the playing styles, the objectives are very, very different. I mean, one of the things that I have admired, not just in RCB, but all across the teams is the number of youngsters who are just smashing more boundaries than I could ever imagine. And today, a 200-plus score is par.
Yes, now going back to that inaugural match at Chinnaswamy in Bangalore, I had no clue. I don’t think anybody had a clue as to what a par score was. And out came Brendon McCullum, smashing the ball to every area of the park, piled on a massive total, which I found almost unbelievable. I said, this seems to be more like a dream than reality. But OK, 18 years later, I can say we’ve learned from it. And IPL was always going to be a successful model because it was professionally designed and modelled. There were other leagues across the world, and the best of each league was chosen and incorporated within the IPL structure. And finally, the fact that cricket is almost a religion in India, there was absolutely no question that there would be enormous and growing fan support. And then if you looked at it the way I looked at it on the other side of the fence about building a franchise and building a successful marketing model for my product, I mean, there was the enormous untapped potential of the Indian consumer market. So you have a great growing market, you have brand awareness through a sport franchise, and then you have a revenue sharing model. And that was something that I said felt safe.
Q) How did Lalit Modi pitch this tournament to you? India had won the T20 World Cup, and suddenly this T20 format had become a huge thing. But what was the initial pitch to you from Lalit Modi.
Vijay Mallya: You know, Lalit Modi first mentioned it to me as a friend, as a pal. But then after that, I visited the BCCI office, and I met Mr Pawar. Lalit was working very closely with Mr Pawar at that time. But you know, there was a professional pitch made, it wasn’t like one to one, informal, this was proper stuff. And so Lalit made a pitch to whoever he could think of, who might have been interested in buying a franchise. I think I was one of his easy pickings, because I was already convinced that something like this would work. I’m sure he had a more difficult time trying to persuade others. But finally got it done and look at the valuations today. I mean, I never even dreamt that that an IPL franchise would be worth what it is today.
Q) We see Shah Rukh Khan in the stands, we see Preity Zinta in the stands. Do you miss the action?
Vijay Mallya: You know, because I’m such a sports enthusiast and supporter, I’ve had the privilege of owning some great sports franchises. I’ve been several times to Kolkata, to Yuva Bharati, watching Mohu Bagan play East Bengal. I’ve been all over the world for 10 years as a Formula One team principal. I’ve been to almost every game RCB played. And I’ve been there, done that, seen it all. And today, in the comfort of my home on a big screen, if I watch them play, it gives me equal pleasure because what the camera shows you, you can’t see live sitting in the stands. And that goes for any sport. And then you have the added benefit of expert commentators. So you can see their perspective as well. So yeah, I’m quite content, quite satisfied. And once again, delighted that the IPL trophy is in Bangalore.
Q) If Vijay Mallya had to pick his three best players in RCB history, who would they be?
Vijay Mallya: Virat Kohli, for sure, without any doubt. I would say Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers.
Q) Your message to RCB as a franchise going forward, RCB players, all the RCB fans…
Vijay Mallya: Well, my message very clearly is congratulations. Very well done, IPL champions 2025. Start getting used to it because you need to repeat this performance. Look at Mumbai for inspiration. Look at Chennai for inspiration. They have won the IPL multiple times. And I’m looking forward to RCB winning the IPL multiple times.
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