Vijay Mallya And RCB's Hidden Story: Rs 476 Cr Investment, Lost IPL Team, Why He Picked Virat Kohli?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first IPL (Indian Premier League) trophy on June 3, 2025, after defeating Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings in the final at Gujarat's Narendra Modi Stadium. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya picked the crucial wickets, while Virat Kohli hit 43 runs, which was crucial in the latter stages of the IPL 2025 final. After reaching the final on three occasions (2009, 2011, and 2016), Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their maiden IPL trophy after a long wait of 18 years.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) receives Rs. 20 crore after winning their first IPL trophy, beating Punjab Kings in the final

As expected, the internet went absolutely wild the moment Shashank Singh hit a six on Josh Hazlewood's last ball of the match, and it saw Virat Kohli going down on his knees in tears. Talking about the prize money, RCB received a whopping sum of Rs. 20 crore for winning the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The runners-up, Punjab Kings, who were denied their first IPL title, received Rs. 12.5 crore for reaching the final.

Over the years, many incredible players have played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The franchise was always blessed with lethal players, but despite all the quality in their team, they used to choke in the crucial moments. However, there is one player who remained loyal to the red and black jersey of the RCB in all these 18 years, and that is Virat Kohli. The cricket icon joined RCB as a 19-year-old back in 2008 and never left the club despite lucrative offers from Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and so many other teams. 

When the "King of Good Times", Vijay Mallya, put his faith in a young Virat Kohli: Here's why he signed him for RCB

When Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL after a wait of 18 long years, the IPL team's former owner, Vijay Mallya, aka the "King of Good Times", dropped a tweet in which he congratulated the team. The business tycoon was quick to mention that he was the one who bought Virat Kohli to RCB, and it eventually turned out to be the biggest reason why they won it. For the uninitiated, Virat Kohli led India's U-19 team to victory in the Under-19 World Cup, and Vijay Mallya was quick to see his potential and immediately signed him.

The business tycoon spent Rs. 12 lakh back in 2008 to get 19-year-old Virat Kohli on his team. It's fair to say that Kohli has repaid Mallya's trust in him by being in the club for 18 years to finally bringing the IPL trophy to Bengaluru in 2025. Apart from Virat Kohli, Vijay Mallya signed a series of top players like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Anil Kumble, and Jacques Kallis. Courtesy of all these flashy signings, Vijay Mallya ended the 2008 IPL auction with a total expenditure of 111.6 million USD. 

Vijay Mallya and RCB's lesser-known story: Alleged misuse of public funds and bank loans for building the team

According to several reports, Vijay Mallya misused the public funds for his IPL team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In 2008, Mallya's Kingfisher Airlines faced a serious financial crunch and tried to divert a Rs. 15.9 crore loan from SBI in order to fund the needs of RCB. When SBI learned of this, they cancelled the loan process, but Mallya used a series of complex bank transactions to bypass the restrictions and bring money to RCB's account. While Kingfisher Airlines was losing Rs. 1,200 crore due to several key failures, Mallya's decision to purchase an IPL team for Rs. 476 crore raised the eyebrows of investigative agencies. 

How did Vijay Mallya lose the ownership of his IPL team, RCB? Meet the current owner of the franchise

Vijay Mallya lost the ownership of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) due to a series of mounting debts and legal troubles. The business tycoon lost control and power over the IPL franchise, which he bought with United Spirits in 2008. After Mallya's departure, Diageo India came into the picture, and it became the biggest shareholder of United Spirits Limited in 2016.

As a result, RCB is now fully owned by United Spirits, which belongs to Diageo India. Since the acquisition of RCB by Diageo India, the IPL franchise has been able to fully concentrate on its players and campaign instead of worrying about court battles. We hope they continue to win more trophies in the coming seasons now that they've broken the deadlock. 

What are your thoughts on Vijay Mallya's journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL? Let us know.

Also Read: IPL Final: Meet Punjab Kings' Co-Owner, Karan Paul, Who Is Married To Supermodel, Indrani Dasgupta

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