New Delhi: The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League is set to kick off on February 28, with preparations for the tournament now nearly complete. The opening match is scheduled to be played at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Both teams are determined to start their IPL campaign with a victory at all costs, a factor that is expected to make for a thrilling contest.
Even before the season officially begins, Royal Challengers Bangalore has become a major talking point. The reason for this is the change in ownership of the franchise. The defending champions, RCB, have been jointly acquired by the Aditya Birla Group, American sports investor David Blitzer, and the American private equity firm Blackstone.
Did you know that the acquisition deal for the Royal Challengers was finalised at a staggering ₹16,660 crore? With this deal, RCB has emerged as the most valuable team of this IPL season. Meanwhile, Vijay Mallya—counted among India’s prominent businessmen—has penned an emotional post regarding this development. You can read the details of what he had to say below.
Vijay Mallya Makes a Significant Statement
During the formative years of the Indian Premier League, businessman Vijay Mallya had acquired RCB through a deal. Consequently, 18 years later—upon the sale of the team—he took to his social media platform to share an emotional message. Writing on his ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) handle, Mallya stated: “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the new owners of RCB. I wish them the very best for the future and great success with what has become the most valuable IPL franchise.
The Price at Which Vijay Mallya Acquired the Team
Following the announcement of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s new ownership, Vijay Mallya offered his congratulations. He wrote: “When I acquired the franchise in 2008 for ₹450 crore, most people laughed at me; they criticised my investment, dismissing it as mere ostentation.”
“The driving force behind this ‘whim’ of mine was the desire to build the ‘Royal Challenge’ brand—which is precisely why I named the franchise RCB.” In the post, he further wrote, “It gives me immense joy to see that my investment of ₹450 crore has grown to ₹16,500 crore.
RCB will always hold a special place in my heart—a journey that includes the selection of a young Virat Kohli, who stands today as one of the world’s finest players. My heartfelt thanks go out to all the fans associated with RCB, both during my tenure and thereafter; please continue to support the ‘Lions of Bengaluru’—RCB. Namaskar.” It is worth noting that while RCB has been one of the most successful teams in the IPL, it took them 17 years to finally win the title.