Go ahead… Judge all you want, but I’m a hard-core RCB fan.
Being an RCB fan comes with a specific type of reputation. In the cricket world, we’re often considered “delusional” or “overly emotional”. We’ve been dubbed as the team with “all hype and no results”, followed by the infuriatingly familiar comeback: “CSK has five trophies. Try and beat that”. Yeah, like I didn’t know that already.
Supporting Royal Challengers Bangalore isn’t a choice—it’s an emotional commitment. Every year begins with a newfound sense of hope, bolstered by the belief that Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar would somehow carry the team to victory, and ends with a feeling of quiet resignation: “It’s okay, yaar; there’s always next year”.
But despite all the team’s inconsistent performances and dramatic batting collapses, us fans have always come full circle, returning every year like clockwork. Loyal and unwavering.
My first-ever in-stadium IPL experience was frankly quite the jump scare.
18th April 2025: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings
The Chinnaswamy Stadium filled in quickly, with thousands of people dressed in red boisterously waving their flags in unison. The crowd turned raucous at the sight of Virat Kolhi sauntering onto the field. Kohli’s back faced me, the number “18” glinting under the stadium lights. And in that moment, everything felt surreal.
Unfortunately, we were met with a heavy downpour that took ages to reduce to a drizzle. Despite an hour-long delay, the crowd never once complained and instead sang along to the RCB anthem, its beats reverberating across the stadium. The ground staff quickly peeled back the covers to reveal a vibrant green pitch, and within minutes, the match commenced.
Arshdeep Singh lit the ground on fire with his fast-paced bowling as RCB’s opening batsman, Phil Salt, goes out for 4. Kolhi takes his stance, eyes on the ball, charged up by the roar of the crowd. The ball goes up in the air, and just like that, he’s gone for 1.
That day, there was a pervasive sense of anxiety that hung in the air, so overwhelming that it almost felt tangible. People leaned forward in anticipation, silently praying that RCB’s batting line doesn’t collapse like dominoes.
But real ones know that nothing about RCB is predictable. One day, we’re unbeatable, and the next day… Let’s not talk about it. And somehow, it’s the team’s rather baffling unpredictability in performance that always keeps us hooked.
In moments when all hope is lost, Mr. Nags¹ seems to have just the perfect remedy. His post-match “conferences” and online interviews aren’t just content; they’re therapy sessions that the fans never knew they needed. Mr. Nags has a unique way of sugarcoating a harsh truth by mixing in tons of comedy to soften the blow.
Here’s a short snippet of Mr. Nags teasing Kohli after getting two consecutive first-ball ducks² against Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad, respectively, during the 2022 IPL season:
Mr. Nags: “Do you like pets?”
Virat: “I love pets.”
Mr. Nags: “What pets do you have?”
Virat: “We don’t have any because we don’t have any time to take care of them.”
Mr. Nags: “No, but recently on TV, everybody saw you got two ducks.”
Virat: [laughs in embarrassment]
Amidst all this light-hearted self-mockery, it’s moments like these that make RCB truly special. In a world where failures are usually hidden, the franchise turns them into shared moments of laughter, perseverance and silent understanding. His videos encapsulate exactly what it means to be a quintessential RCB fan: self-aware, slightly dramatic but always hopeful.
Despite RCB’s heartbreaking loss to SRH in 2016, they went on to win the finals in 2025 after beating PBKS, claiming their first-ever trophy after 18 years. That night, the deafening roar of the crowd wasn’t just celebratory but a unified sigh of release. It became a moment in time where next year had finally become this year.
Looking back, I don’t remember our losses. Instead, I think about Chris Gayle’s iconic 176 off 66 balls back in 2016. The highest individual score in IPL history that remains unbeaten to date. Anil Kumble’s insane 5/5 “bowling spell” in 2009 against the Rajasthan Royals. Kohli’s record-breaking cumulative score of 973 runs in 2016. And A.B. de Villiers’ (nicknamed “Mr. 360”) remarkable reverse sweeps.
Over the years as an RCB fan, I’ve realized one thing: RCB may not have a strong trophy legacy, but its moments? Truly unforgettable.
¹ Mr. Nags, a comic persona created by Danish Sait, is known for his witty and humorous interviews with RCB players. His character is said to be representative of a stereotypical Bangalorean.
² A first-ball duck (also called a golden duck) occurs when a batter is dismissed on the very first legal delivery they face, scoring zero runs.