From a fresh-faced teenager picked at a base price of ₹12 lakh to becoming the highest-paid and most iconic player in franchise history, Virat Kohli’s journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is nothing short of legendary. In a recent conversation on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Mallya opened up about how he handpicked Virat Kohli ahead of the inaugural IPL season in 2008, following the youngster’s impressive run at the ICC U-19 World Cup, which he won as captain.
He said, "Shortly before the actual selection process, they were playing the U-19 World Cup, and I was very impressed with him. So, I picked him, and it's wonderful, 18 years later, he is still there. He was a young kid at that time when I got him, but you know, full of energy, great talent, and you know, one of the greatest Indian cricketers ever."
Unlike senior players who entered the 2008 IPL auction, India’s Under-19 World Cup players were drafted separately in a pre-season selection. Kohli, despite hailing from Delhi, wasn’t picked by Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), who chose Pradeep Sangwan instead. That decision allowed RCB to bring Kohli into their setup an acquisition that would go on to build a legacy for himself.
Mallya on making RCB a powerhouse
Mallya, during the podcast, also shed light on the early strategy behind assembling RCB’s squad, aiming to blend Indian legends with promising youth and global talent.
He said,"I handpicked players who could make RCB a powerhouse. My biggest pride was spotting Virat Kohli, a youngster from the Under-19 World Cup team. My inner instinct told me he was special, and I bid for him. Getting Rahul Dravid as our icon player was a no-brainer he was Bangalore's pride."
"We also brought in global stars like Jacques Kallis, Anil Kumble, and Zaheer Khan. I wanted a mix of local heroes and international flair. My dream was to bring the IPL trophy to Bangalore, and I built the team with that goal."
