Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru owner Vijay Mallya has broken his silence after the landmark sale of the IPL franchise, calling it an emotional moment and insisting that RCB “will always remain a part of my DNA.” His post on X struck a nostalgic tone, revisiting the early days of the team and its remarkable rise in value.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I would like to heartily congratulate the new owners of RCB. I wish them the very best and Godspeed with the most valuable IPL franchise,” Mallya wrote, acknowledging the consortium led by the Aditya Birla Group and Times of India Group. Reflecting on his bold move back in 2008, he added, “When I bought the franchise in 2008 for INR 450 crores, most people laughed at me and criticised my investment as a vanity project.”
Mallya defended that decision, saying it was part of a larger vision. “Behind my much touted madnesses was building the Royal Challenge brand, and hence I named the franchise RCB,” he wrote. The scale of that bet is now evident, with the franchise valued at approximately INR 16,600 crore. “Immensely gratifying to see my INR 450 crore investment grow to INR 16,600 crore,” he added, underlining the exponential growth of the league and the brand.One of the most striking parts of his message was his recollection of backing a young Virat Kohli. “RCB will always remain a part of my DNA with indelible memories including picking the young Virat Kohli who is now amongst the best in the World,” Mallya noted, linking the franchise’s journey with the rise of one of cricket’s biggest superstars. He also extended gratitude to the fanbase: “To all RCB fans who came on board during my stewardship and beyond, a grateful thank you and please continue to support RCB the Lion of Bengaluru. Namaskara.”The emotional post comes after a historic ownership shift, with a consortium including the Aditya Birla Group, Times of India, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone acquiring 100% of the franchise from United Spirits, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc. The deal, the largest in IPL history, covers both the IPL and WPL teams.
