After RCB’s historic WPL victory, Vijay Mallya congratulates them, and the internet reacts with vicious memes

Whoever said that Vijay Mallya only tweets (or posts) on special occasions like holidays and festivals may not have been following the recent excitement around Royal Challengers Bangalore’s triumph in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024. Mallya, the previous owner of the RCB men’s club, didn’t skip a beat when the women’s team, captained by Smriti Mandhana, won the championship by beating the Delhi Capitals in an exciting final. While the men’s team continues to pursue the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) title, he complimented the women’s team on their quick triumph in just the second season of the WPL.

On “X,” Mallya said, “Heartfelt congratulations to the RCB Women’s Team for winning the WPL.” Going one step further, he expressed expectations for a “fantastic double” in the next IPL leg and urged the men’s team to draw inspiration, saying, “It would be a fantastic double if the RCB men’s team won the IPL, which is long overdue.” Best of luck.

As expected, Mallya’s message went viral and sparked a wave of memes and jokes. One user on ‘X’ joked, “Kya pata Vijay Mallya issi khushi mai India wapis aa jaye.” His “long overdue” remark was picked up by others, who made the meme “SBI employees watching Vijay Mallya talking about something long overdue,” and the jokes kept coming.

Following the bankruptcy of Kingfisher Airways in 2012, the former CEO of United Breweries and United Spirits found himself in hot water. He was charged with contempt by the Delhi Supreme Court and faced convictions in absentia for economic offenses such as theft and money laundering.

He fled to Britain in March 2016 in order to avoid being arrested, leaving a group of banks with $1.14 billion in the red. Even if assets have been taken by Indian financial authorities to pay off the debt, criminal proceedings are still a real possibility.

By 2021, Mallya’s attempt to remain in the UK legally had come to an end when the London Supreme Court rejected his appeal, ruling that there were no new grounds to examine in his case. There are rumors that Mallya is still living in Britain, where she has a posh property in fashionable Regent’s Park, London, and an estate in Tewin, Hertfordshire.

Mallya, nevertheless, isn’t going to disappear from the internet in spite of his legal problems. A short look at his “X” timeline indicates that he often posts around bank holidays to coincide with Indian celebrations. His tweets always seem to fit the rhythm of these holidays, whether it’s Holi, Eid, or Dussehra.