There is no doubt that the fanbase of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is massive — and that's without the team having won an Indian Premier League (IPL) title yet. Now that the franchise has reached the final, fans are showering their love without hesitation, hoping that the 18th edition of the IPL will finally go in favour of Jersey No. 18 - Virat Kohli.
As RCB takes on the top-ranked team on the IPL 2025 points table — Punjab Kings (PBKS) — at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, support for the Bengaluru franchise has been overflowing.
The craze for this Indian batter has clearly crossed boundaries, with the Ahmedabad stadium seemingly flooded with fans wearing RCB jerseys. Many are hoping the star — who recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, leaving fans emotional — can lift this trophy and finally add the missing jewel to his crown.?
Videos on X (formerly known as Twitter) show RCB chants echoing outside the venue. One user who shared a clip wrote, "RCB RCB chants at Ahmedabad already. When you are big, you are big."?
Another fan posted a picture from within the stadium, writing, "Massive chants of Kohli Kohli as RCB fans are filling the stadium. Going to be an away game for Punjab, much like it was in the WC final."?
One even wrote, "As a kohli fan this is something that makes waves of emotions run within you. Waited to see this day. He's getting all the love he deserves. He is the king for his people. I'm one in his million fans being his fan is my biggest flex. King of hearts : Virat Prem Kohli"?
Interestingly, back in Bengaluru, a man decorated his car with nimbu-mirchi (lemon and chili) — a traditional charm believed to ward off bad luck, evil eye, and negative energy. The vehicle was seen patrolling the city, capturing attention online and adding to the wave of fan-driven superstition surrounding RCB's big day.?
At the end of the Powerplay, RCB scored 55 runs and lost the wicket of Philip Salt, who made 16 off 9 balls. As of writing this article, Mayank Agarwal has also departed after scoring 24 off 18.?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):?Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma(w), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Subs:?Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Tim Seifert, Swapnil Singh, Suyash Sharma.?
Punjab Kings (Playing XI):?Priyansh Arya, Josh Inglis(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Impact Subs:?Prabhsimran Singh, Praveen Dubey, Suryansh Shedge, Xavier Bartlet, Harpreet Brar?