It took 18 long years--18 f*cking years--for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to finally lift the elusive Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy. Words fail me as I write this. My eyes are welling up, and yet, there's an overwhelming sense of closure--a feeling of "I'm done," much like what Virat Kohli must have felt as he finally kissed the silverware that evaded him for so long.
I've been watching the IPL since its inaugural season. I was in Class 7 back then. From the start, RCB was my team--largely because Rahul Dravid, one of my favourites of the bygone era, was their icon player, and legends like Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn were within its ranks. The first season flew by--it felt more like entertainment than serious cricket. In 2009, RCB reached the finals and lost by six runs to Deccan Chargers. It didn't sting much as the league was still new. The 2011 final loss didn't cut deeper either, as I knew Chennai Super Kings was a better side.
But 2016? That one broke me. Virat was in the form of his life, scoring a staggering 973 runs in the season. It had to be RCB's year. But then came Ben Cutting, and just like that, the dream slipped away. That defeat was gutting. I even thought of giving up on the IPL altogether. "Anyway, what do I have to do with this tinpot trophy? International cricket is all that matters," I said to myself. For the next few seasons, I barely watched any games. And yet, somewhere deep down, that elusive trophy kept lingering like an unfinished chapter in my heart. Slowly, I found myself returning--hopeful, again, with the "Ee Sala Cup Namde" slogan reverberating in my mind.
When Faf du Plessis took over the reins from Virat, I thought, "Yes, maybe a change in captaincy will finally change the team's luck." But no! Though the team did well to make the playoffs, the dream of lifting the trophy remained just that--a dream. Exasperation, despondency returned, familiar and unwelcome. "It's just not meant to be," I told myself. And yet, my loyalty to this team never wavered.
Then came 2025. Rajat Patidar was announced as captain after rumours did the rounds that Virat might lead this season. For once, the squad looked balanced--maybe for the first time in 18 years. A series of away victories and home losses followed, and RCB quietly climbed up the points table. I made a promise to myself--"No posts on Twitter this season--I won't jinx it". It wasn't until that Jitesh Sharma knock against Lucknow Supergiants that I started to believe that "this might just be the season." RCB made it to the top two and outplayed Punjab Kings in the first playoff. The Shreyas Iyer-led side stormed back into the finals with a renewed vigour after a fantastic win over Mumbai Indians in the second qualifier.
"Iyer had led Kolkata Knight Riders to victory last year. He knew how to win a final. On the other hand, RCB has lost three finals," a friend of mine texted me on the morning of the final. "Let's see," I replied. I was anxious, nervous, excited--all at once--for the match to begin. RCB batted first and put up 190. "We're at least 30 runs short. I've seen RCB bowl for 18 years. I know how this goes," I texted him during the innings break. "Josh Inglis could be the new Ben Cutting," I added.
Even as their wickets fell and it was almost clear that RCB would be crowned champions, I was sceptical. "I have seen RCB fail to defend 25 runs in the last over, I am not celebrating yet," I told him.
When RCB were finally declared champions, I imagined I would jump on the sofa, screaming at the top of my lungs--but none of that happened. I quietly watched the post-match scenes--Virat hugging his former teammates AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle as tears rolled down his cheeks. Watching him embrace his better half, Anushka Sharma, who's stood with him through everything, felt like a perfect climax to an 18-year-long film. It was more moving than any blockbuster I've seen.
Back in 2022, I had jokingly tweeted a picture of a woman holding a placard that read, "Not getting married till RCB wins IPL trophy". I captioned it, "I'm gonna tell my nosy relatives the same." Fast forward to 2025--I am happily married for nearly six months, and guess what? RCB finally lifts the trophy...on my wife's birthday. Funny how life works, doesn't it?
I am a Punekar. And even though the IPL had two teams from Pune over the years--Pune Warriors India and Rising Pune Supergiants--I've always rooted for RCB. And I always will. But now the intensity and the passion I once carried...it'll ease a little. I might finally be able to watch the IPL for what it is really meant to be--fun. No more trolls. No more "may be next year." The dream is real. Someone pinch me.
