Royal Challengers Bengaluru‘s historic Indian Premier League 2025 championship win — their first in 18 years — was a moment of pure euphoria for players and fans alike. Among those celebrating was Siddharth Mallya, son of former RCB owner Vijay Mallya, who shared a deeply emotional video on Instagram following the victory.
In the now-deleted video, Siddharth was visibly overcome with emotion, saying, “Eighteen long, long years… I don’t even know what to say,” as he wiped away tears and reflected on the franchise’s long journey to finally clinch the IPL title.
Instagram bans Mallya after copyright complaint
However, what began as a personal celebration quickly turned into a public controversy. Shortly after posting the video, Siddharth Mallya revealed that Instagram not only removed the post but also temporarily restricted his ability to interact on the platform.
“For some reason, Instagram decided to take the video down and proceeded to ban me from interacting on the app,” he said in a follow-up video explaining the situation.
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Mallya blames IPL for the takedown
Siddharth later claimed that his investigation into the removal revealed the request had come directly from IPL authorities, citing copyright infringement. The clip reportedly featured footage of the final match, which may have triggered the complaint.
“The ban was lifted yesterday. It turns out that after I got to the bottom of this, the video was brought down because IPL complained and said that I have violated their copyright police, which is absolutely nuts to me,” Mallya said.
He continued: “The video was less than a minute long, and it was about me and my emotions. It’s crazy that they took away my opportunity to celebrate and interact with fans. I am upset about it and it’s sad on the part of IPL. Such is life.”
Frustration over IPL’s handling of fan content
The incident has sparked fresh debate over how sports leagues enforce digital rights, especially in cases involving emotional or fan-generated content. Siddharth Mallya’s criticism points to broader tensions between copyright policy and organic fan engagement in the social media era — tensions amplified by the passionate and personal nature of his tribute to RCB’s long-overdue triumph.
For a team and fan base that waited nearly two decades for an IPL title, the moment was meant to be shared. Mallya’s video, though fleeting, captured that once-in-a-generation feeling — and his frustration at its removal adds another layer to the story of RCB’s epic 2025 win.
