From memes to champions, the RCB faithful rejoice
New Delhi: As the fireworks laced the night sky in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad on Tuesday night, there was jubilance as well as relief of a burden lifting off the shoulders of those who stuck with Royal Challengers Bengaluru for years. Royal Challengers Bengaluru conquered their final frontier by getting the better of Punjab Kings by six runs. (AFP) Chants of ‘RCB, RCB’ reverberated on the streets everywhere but they echoed even across living rooms all over India. Such had been the dedication of RCB fans that these chants had been heard even in random international matches, especially if their talisman Virat Kohli was playing. The win in Ahmedabad thus was more than a championship. It was a release, a reward, 18 years in the making. For much of their history, RCB fans had become something of a punchline in Indian cricket – the team with stars, not trophies. The perpetual underachievers. But through it all, through the three previous finals with nothing to show for it, the memes and the meltdowns, a community was formed, friendships forged. “You stick through. We stuck through, like a parent doesn’t give up on their kid, no matter what,” said Dinky Mehta, an RCB fan in Delhi. “My support wasn’t dependent on trophies. We had none. My heart just lies with them and it will continue to.” Kohli – the face of the franchise for these 18-long years – was his most emotional self amid the eruption of joy. For many fans, his reaction mirrored their own. As RCB lifted the trophy after beating Punjab Kings, it felt like a collective wound was healing. Dinky was watching the match at a screening as RCB made the breakthrough, and while fans around her erupted with joy, she stood there, tears streaming down her face, with a sense of fulfilment. Arfan MU, who is recognised on X for his loyalty to the Bengaluru franchise and support and humour through each unsuccessful season, sits through each RCB match without missing a delivery. It wasn’t any different on Tuesday night. “I was numb, tears rolling down in the last over. I just screamed, hugged all the RCB fans around and they were the best hugs of my life. I was shivering because the dream is a reality now. I danced around like that baby who gets a new toy,” he said. Naturally, new fans will come in. Some may never understand the pain that was endured before the glory. The old guard though will recall the 2016 final heartbreak, the social media trolling and ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’ memes. “RCB is an emotion and it can teach you about life. You fall 17 times, you get mocked, you get trolled but the one time that you stand up, the world will be yours,” Arfan added. Yash Saxena often tells his friends in Barcelona – many of them don’t follow cricket – that supporting RCB is like rooting for a middle-class working man. Someone who keeps winning the small battles, yet rarely gets the applause because ultimate success is elusive. “Kohli is responsible for me and a lot of others sticking with this team. If he can show that loyalty and be their face through the failures, we do the same,” he said. “This win pumps me to do great things in life. It has pushed me to keep going even as I go through my personal challenges.” Such was the relentless grind that even AB de Villiers, who spent a decade with RCB, had vowed to be present if they made the final. Chris Gayle, who played for RCB from 2011 to 2017, stood proudly on the podium as they lifted the trophy. For Kohli, they too had earned that moment. “You ought to respect the connection even some of the past players have to this team. Even those who were with RCB for a short-term have found so much joy… There’s just something magical about them,” he said. The community built around waiting got its moment. It was almost bizarre watching the devotion of RCB fans through these years – loyal beyond reason. They waited and suffered, and now get to rejoice.
