As a journalist, one is supposed to not pick sides and I have tried to do that, as much as possible for the entire IPL season. But Royal Challengers Bengaluru winning their second title on the 31st of May, instantly took me back to 2016- when despite the brilliant performance from almost everyone, despite the dominance- RCB ended up on the losing side in the finals. I remember the 13-year-old me crying my eyes out, refusing to do anything for several days after that- such was the attachment that I always had towards the team. I remember the disappointing and heartbreaking seasons after that; I remember the near misses. And, now when I look at the turn around that this team has had, I cannot help but pinch myself to make sure that I am not dreaming.
RCB is the reason I started watching cricket in the first place. AB de Villiers was the one who actually sparked my interest in cricket. Watching him walk out in red and gold, dominating every bowler with his innovative shots- I used to constantly wonder how playing like that was even humanely possible. Obviously the contributions from ‘Universe Boss’ along with that. Chris Gayle with those fiery starts, hitting those humungous sixes, and a calm composed Virat Kohli along with him- sorted, and consistent as ever. The team had everything- it had star power, it had strong batters, it had some good bowlers in Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj, and even Harshal Patel, who in turn had his breakout season in 2021. Yet, collective contribution is where the team fell short every time. Over-reliance on only certain players always hurt RCB- on a day these individuals were not able to perform.
This is the basic difference between the RCB in 2016 and the new, evolved version of the same team in 2026. It is not Kohli alone carrying the batting anymore. Multiple people have stepped up on multiple occasions, starting from Rajat Patidar to Devdutt Padikkal to Tim David and even Krunal Pandya helped the team cross the finishing line. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been in stellar form and has done wonders with the ball- while being well supported by Australian superstar, Josh Hazlewood. Even a newcomer like Rasikh Salam Dar has been promising. Patidar, with his grace and poise has led the team to perfection in the last couple of years.
From being on the receiving end of trolling, criticism, ‘49 all-out jokes’, being labelled ‘generational chokers’ to winning back-to-back trophies- it feels nothing short of a fairytale. Last year was more emotional since they had won it for the first time after ending a 17-year-old trophy drought- but this time, the entire cricketing world saw it coming- such was the sheer dominance throughout the season.
Mo Bobat had said in his dressing room speech last year after winning the IPL, “Get addicted to winning now, we are going two in a row. Not many teams have done it before but we will go for it again.” And they made sure to keep their words.
The ladies broke the trophy curse by bringing home the Women’s Premier League title and since then, the franchise has been unstoppable. Across both these formats, RCB has basically pulled a three in a row, asserting their dominance in style. The entire management, the coaching staff- their contribution and hard work has been unimaginable- from having a great auction to ensuring proper execution of plans, RCB have now lived their dream moment twice in a row.
And for the King of Cricket, Kohli- 17 years of unwavering belief towards this team no matter the difficult phases finally turned into back-to-back glory, a journey that defined patience, tremendous loyalty and trust in the timing of the universe.
Last but not the least, the fans who stuck through it all- despite the heartache and despite trolling, a standing ovation to all of you. For refusing to back down in tough times, showing up with “ E Sala Cup namde ” slogans every year and redefining loyalty- and as they say- Universe does reward when the time is right.
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