After years of heartbreak and near-misses, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally lifted their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in 2025, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a historic final.
The victory ended an 18-year title drought and sparked emotional celebrations among fans, players, and even the franchise’s original owner, Vijay Mallya.
RCB’s win resonated across the cricketing world, especially on social media, where jubilant fans and former players shared their joy. Mallya, who first owned RCB in the inaugural 2008 season, expressed heartfelt congratulations on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
“RCB are IPL Champions finally after 18 years. Superb campaign right through the 2025 tournament… Many congratulations! Ee Sala Cup Namde!!”
In a follow-up post, Mallya reminisced about RCB’s roots, calling the victory the realization of his long-held dream:
“When I founded RCB, it was my dream that the IPL trophy should come to Bengaluru… I had the privilege of picking the legendary King Kohli as a youngster… and also the honour of signing Chris Gayle, the Universe Boss, and Mr. 360 AB de Villiers… Finally, the IPL trophy arrives in Bengaluru. Congratulations and thanks to all who made my dream come true.”
RCB’s Virat Kohli, who has remained loyal to the team since the beginning, lifted the trophy in the presence of Gayle and De Villiers, both of whom were present to celebrate the long-overdue moment.
While the emotion behind this tweet is obviously understandable considering that Vijay Mallya was the one who built this team from scratch, the timing is off. The fact that he is currently absconding while defaulting many loans to Indian banks has landed this tweet poorly.
Many social media users are trolling Mallya for this tweet. A person commented “At least now, pick up some portion of the winning amount from the IPL trophy and repay your loans.”
Another person wrote in Hindi “Ab to paisa wapis kar de bhai.” there are hundreds of such comments under the original tweet that was posted by Vijay Mallya.
Considering the kind of following that RCB has on social media, we can expect the social space to be flooded with such content for the next few days.
With this win, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings remain the only two original franchises yet to win an IPL title since the league’s inception in 2008.
The 2025 title run will be remembered not just for RCB’s dominance on the field, but also for the emotional weight of redemption after nearly two decades of anticipation and loyal fan support.
