Nearly four months ahead of Diwali, Bengaluru celebrated the festival of light early on Tuesday night as RCB lifted the Tata IPL trophy in Ahmedabad. The city erupted in joy, with fireworks lighting up the sky late into the night. An aerial video capturing the skyline ablaze with crackers added a dazzling layer to the fans’ celebration of RCB’s long-awaited victory.

It was Vijay Mallya who bought the IPL franchise and named it Royal Challengers Bengaluru. At the time, Mallya was a Rajya Sabha member and a flamboyant business tycoon, and he brought that same flair to RCB’s early cricket culture. Initially, the team featured Karnataka stalwarts like Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, but success remained elusive. Over time, the franchise shifted strategies—bringing in star players from other states and international talent—but no combination seemed to work to lift the cup.

According to a former insider from Mallya’s core team, the franchise had even sought divine intervention during its prolonged slump. A special pooja was reportedly performed around 2013–14 to break the streak of bad luck. Still, the drought continued.

Ownership has since changed hands. While Mallya bought the team in 2008 for $111.6 million, financial issues forced him to relinquish control. Today, RCB is wholly owned by United Spirits Limited, a subsidiary of global liquor........

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