Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) as a team have always had star power but they don't have an IPL trophy in the 17 years that the tournament has been played. RCB have qualified for the playoffs four times in the last five years but have fallen short ahead of the final hurdle. If you are an RCB fan, it has not always been easy. And yet, when it comes to fan engagement, the franchise ticks every box. A pan-Indian fan base, I had even seen a few Indians in RCB jerseys supporting Neeraj Chopra in Paris in 2024.
Could the wait finally end and what will it mean for the franchise and Virat Kohli in particular? While the women’s team, which has already won a title last year, is a success story could it be the men who get one step closer in New Chandigarh when they take on the Punjab Kings? Also, what will it mean for the massive fan base who have waited patiently year on year and have continued to support the franchise? Could it be a transformative moment for each and every one of them?
Speaking on the RCB fan base, COO Rajesh Menon said it well: “RCB was never conceptualised as a Karnataka brand or a Bengaluru based brand. It always was meant to be a pan-Indian brand and one that had universal appeal. The fan, wherever he or she is from, is at the core of the brand. Fan engagement is perhaps the most important thing that we do. If you see our team bus you will know what I am saying. There was one fan who had taken the RCB jersey to Mahakumbh. He is represented in our team bus. Sugumar, RCB super fan, is represented. Every fan who has RCB at his or her core is part of the story. If you go outside of India say to the Hundred or county cricket, you will inevitably see a few with RCB jerseys. That’s what we have been able to create and that’s what explains why the brand is what it is."
And at the centre of this brand is Virat Kohli. He no longer plays T20 international cricket for India and yet has been in stellar form in the IPL. For all of the 17 years he has shouldered the responsibility of building the brand and has kept it going. A section of the fan base is because of him. As Menon rightly said: “See the thing is very clear. At Diageo there are no owners. People will come and go. But the only constant at RCB is Virat Kohli. That’s how important he is and there is no debate he is the biggest constant in RCB and is the closest to the RCB story. In fact, he is the RCB story.”
For Virat, it will mean much. In 2016 he scored 973 runs, the highest ever by an individual in IPL history in a season. He scored four hundreds and played some incredible cricket. He led the team to the final only to lose out to a resurgent SRH led by Dave Warner. Just like Sachin Tendulkar had to wait for 22 years for the world cup, Virat has waited for 17 years for the IPL title. Now he is close. Two more games and the wait could be over.
Against Punjab, it will be a tough ask. Not only are they playing at home but also they have Shreyas Iyer captaining them, someone who is in red hot form as batter and leader. But then that’s what sport is all about. Win against all odds. And may be that’s why there are no favourites in the qualifier. It is all about the day and the moment. Who wants it more and who soaks in pressure better. Who steps up when it matters and wins the crucial moments.
Virat and Andy Flower will know this is a great opportunity. To make history and dedicate it to their legion of fans who have waited for ages for this moment. Frankly, there is everything to play for tonight and for RCB just that tad bit more.
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