Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into the final of the Indian Premier League after a 92-run victory in the first qualifier against the Gujarat Titans. RCB achieved history by making it to the IPL final for the first time in two seasons. Fans in India were jubilant, and former owner Vijay Mallya also came to congratulate the team at the end of the match.
Just after RCB won their place in the final, Vijay Mallya took to the social media platform X to praise the Bengaluru-based franchise. Mallya thanked the team for their performance and compared the players to roaring lions of Bengaluru.
"Congrats to our big lions RCB, for the great victory in Dharamshala. You roared like the lions of Bengaluru. As defending champions, you have once again marched into the IPL final,” Vijay Mallya said in his post.
The tweet instantly went viral on social media with RCB supporters. Many of them recalled Mallya’s first stint with the club when it came to the Indian Premier League and thanked him for bringing the team into the league, while others thanked him for RCB’s performances and title defence.
Many Many congratulations to RCB namma dodda Simhagulu for an emphatic victory in Dharamshala tonight. You roared loud like the Lions of Bengaluru and roared into the IPL final as defending champions.
— Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) May 26, 2026
Vijay Mallya is regarded as the founder of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team. At the IPL team auction in 2008, he bought the Bengaluru franchise for Rs 455 crore. RCB became one of the most popular teams in the tournament despite a number of setbacks.
Mallya had to resign from the franchise in 2016, as the allegations related to bad debts and financial issues became public, and he left India and settled in the UK. The ownership structure of RCB changed significantly after that. The franchise was later under United Spirits, and finally it was purchased by the Birla Group.
While no longer associated with the team, Mallya keeps following RCB and often mentions them in his social media posts. His latest congratulatory message only made cricket fans and sports fans happy again.
The dominant win by RCB against the Gujarat Titans in all departments proved their strength. Bengaluru was able to produce a complete performance both with bat and ball, and Gujarat could not make it out of the tough qualifier. It also raised hopes in the Bengaluru fans that RCB will be able to defend their IPL title in this year’s edition.
The IPL 2026 final is set to take place on May 31. RCB will now meet either the Gujarat Titans or the Rajasthan Royals in the summit clash. Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals are to meet in the second qualifier on May 29, where the winner will go on to the final and the loser will go out of the tournament.
RCB already has a place in the final, so fans’ spirits are high and there’s a lot of celebrations on social media, along with memes and predictions to be made as fans wait for another historic moment in the history of the franchise.
Lacing up for the biggest match of the season, the RCB fans will be hoping that their side will continue this run of IPL wins and lift the IPL trophy again.
