Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), recently revealed that Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was not originally acquired. Modi, who is currently residing in the United Kingdom, complimented RCB’s recent IPL 2025 title win and mused on the franchise’s surprise beginnings in 2008.
Modi revealed that the flamboyant billionaire and former RCB owner Vijay Mallya had previously planned to own the Mumbai franchise but was outbid by the Ambani family. He explained that he later obtained Bengaluru legally because it was his native city. The IPL founder also stated that Mallya was the first to express interest in and support the league’s formation.
“There is a lot of debate over my dear friend Vijay Mallya. He was the first person to sign on to the IPL, and he was the one who wholeheartedly supported it before everyone else, without even considering a business plan. His first preference was Mumbai, which he lost by only USD 200,000 in the major auction. He chose Bangalore (now Bengaluru), which is understandable given that it is his birthplace, home city, and place of origin.
“And RCB is what it is because Mallya built it at the time. It was Mallya’s second option, right? But it’s the best option for me. If it had been another buyer, it would not have been RCB, and the outcome would have been completely different. Nonetheless, as we sit here today, Vijay Mallya had the foresight and understanding to acquire, number one, the Bangalore team,” Modi stated.
I was quite pleased with Lalit Modi’s pitch: Vijay Mallya
Modi also discussed Virat Kohli’s debut into the league and how the RCB club has shown faith in him over time. During the first season’s draft, Modi stated that Kohli was an uncapped India A player who was available for a fixed fee of USD 10,000.
“Delhi got the first pick but did not select Virat. Vijay Mallya could have passed him up as well, but he was foresighted enough to choose him. You have to appreciate that Virat was a young player at the time, and no one knew him. When it came time to select uncapped players, this was the India A team, and they were going for a set price of USD 10,000. Delhi had the first choice.
They did not pick Virat. Vijay Mallya might have let him go and gone after someone else, but he had the vision to choose Virat. Virat established it as his home base. And now, 18 years later, Virat and his squad have conquered and won the IPL,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mallya, who recently appeared on a podcast with Raj Shamani, confirmed Modi’s version while reflecting on the early days of IPL bidding and explaining his decision to bid for Bengaluru.
“I was really impressed with Lalit Modi’s presentation to the BCCI committee on this league. He called me one day and said, “OK, teams will be auctioned.” Will you buy it? So I bid on three franchises and lost Mumbai by a small margin of money. When I bid for the RCB franchise in 2008, I saw the IPL as a game changer in Indian cricket.
“My goal was to build a staff that embodied the spirit of Bangalore: energetic, active, and glamorous. I spent $112 million, the second largest bid, because I saw the potential. I wanted RCB to be a brand that stood for greatness both on and off the pitch. That’s why I linked it to Royal Challenge, one of our best-selling spirits brands, to give it a strong identity’, Mallya explained.
India
