Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) owner Vijay Mallya has disclosed the true motivation behind his purchase of the Bengaluru franchise. Prior to the inaugural IPL season, Mallya aimed to acquire multiple IPL teams, but his request was denied by Lalit Modi, leaving him with ownership of just one team.
In a recent podcast with Raj Shamani, Mallya shared that he was the highest bidder for three franchises but ultimately selected Bengaluru as his preferred choice.
Mallya's primary goal in acquiring RCB was to promote his whisky brand. He was captivated by Lalit Modi's vision for launching the new T20 league within the BCCI.
Mallya was present at the meeting where Lalit Modi was presenting his vision for the Indian Premier League (IPL). Representing the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Mallya emerged as the highest bidder for three franchises but ultimately selected Bengaluru.
After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approved Modi's proposal and announced the upcoming auction for teams, Lalit reached out to Vijay Mallya to gauge his interest in purchasing a franchise.
When the IPL was first envisioned, Mallya recognized it as an ideal opportunity to promote his whisky brand on a global scale. He aimed to acquire two IPL teams to showcase his brands, Kingfisher and Royal Challenge (a whisky brand).
“…He (Modi) was navigating a complex process. At that time, the BCCI was quite bureaucratic. One day, he called me and said, ‘Alright, we’re ready to move forward; teams are going to be auctioned. Are you interested in buying one?’ I thought, in a country where cricket is revered, what better way to promote my brand than through an IPL franchise? I got ambitious. I wanted one for Kingfisher and another for Royal Challenge (the whisky brand). He replied, ‘You can’t possibly own two franchises’,” Mallya shared on the podcast.
Mallya was keen on acquiring multiple IPL franchises, but Modi informed him that he could only own one. Mallya’s primary motivation for owning a franchise was to promote his brand, and he acknowledged that his interest in owning an IPL team was largely driven by business considerations.
How was RCB established by Vijay Mallya?
Vijay Mallya participated in the bidding for IPL franchises and narrowly missed out on acquiring the Mumbai team. His second choice was Bengaluru. After successfully winning the bid for Bengaluru, Mallya envisioned naming his franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru to promote his whisky brand, Royal Challenge.
“When the bidding began, I was thrilled at the prospect of having an IPL team to showcase my brands. I bid on three franchises and lost Mumbai by a very slim margin. Naturally, I chose Bangalore, and it made sense to name it Royal Challengers Bangalore. That’s how RCB came to be,” Mallya explained.
