Mallya is happy for Rajasthan IPL triumph

LONDON: His own team Bangalore Royal Challengers might have come a cropper at the Indian Premier League, but liquor baron Vijay Mallya is content with the fact that the trophy went to Rajasthan Royals, a side sponsored by his company.
    
"Although the Royal Challengers failed to make much headway, the Rajasthan Royals sponsored by my company lifted the trophy," said Mallya, who had openly expressed his unhappiness with the way the Rahul Dravid-led Royal
Challengers performed in the Twenty20 cricket extravaganza.
    
The flamboyant businessman, who also owns a Formula One team besides an airline, felt the IPL has added a new dimension to cricket.
    
"IPL has defined cricket. IPL was the biggest blockbuster and phenomenal market success for TV," he said.
    
Mallya said the tournament will help India build a "world class squad" by throwing up talented youngsters. Mallya also did not see anything wrong in cricketers making some quick money through the slam-bang format.
    
"When football players could make money why not cricketers?" he asked.
    
Mallya hoped that the England and Wales Cricket Board would also allow its players to participate in the next edition of the event.
    
"They will do so next year," he said.