Mallya Takes Dig at Media, Will Attend Matches to Cheer India

“I intend to attend all games to cheer India,” he tweeted.

Vijay Mallya spotted at the Indo-Pak match on Sunday; Mallya with Sunil Gavaskar (right). (Photo Courtesy: Twitter Screenshot /Altered by The Quint)

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya created quite a media buzz by making an appearance at the India vs Pakistan match at Birmingham’s Edgbaston Cricket Ground on Sunday. Pictures of Mallya watching the match intently and meeting Sunil Gavaskar surfaced all over the internet with him even becoming the butt of Twitterati’s jokes.

The 61-year-old business mogul, whose now defunct Kingfisher Airlines owes Indian banks Rs 9,000 crore, fled the country in February 2016 and was briefly arrested by the Scotland Yard on 18 April on India’s request for his extradition.

Mallya was released a few hours later and he had later tweeted about the “Usual Indian media hype”.

Again taking a dig at media’s “wide, sensational” coverage of his presence during the match, he tweeted on Tuesday that he “intends to attend all games”.

He also lauded Team India’s captain Virat Kohli and called him a “world class player”.