Back in 2008, when IPL started, none of us knew what was coming. All we heard was, “Bangalore has its own team.” Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sounded cool. New jersey. Big names. We were excited. Cricket wasn’t new to us, but this? This felt different.
We didn’t know then that we were signing up for a wild ride — one that would take over our summers, our emotions, our group chats, and honestly, our hearts.
The Beginning – Loud But Lost
We had Rahul Dravid. Anil Kumble. Legends. But something felt off. The team was slow. The game moved fast. Every time we thought “this is the match,” we’d end up staring at the screen, confused, disappointed.
But we didn’t leave. We stayed.
Because RCB was ours. Our team. Our people. Our city. You don’t leave just because things get hard.
2009 – That First Spark
We didn’t expect much that year. No home matches, since the season shifted to South Africa. But the team? They came alive. Kumble led with his heart. We reached the final. That night, we felt something we hadn’t felt before — genuine hope.
We lost. But that loss gave us belief. We weren’t just a joke anymore. We could fight.
Then Came The Chaos – And the Love
Chris Gayle. Bro. That man wasn’t playing cricket. He was throwing grenades. 175 not out? We still talk about it like it happened yesterday.
Kohli started growing in front of us — this angry young guy, giving it all, match after match. And then AB de Villiers joined. With Kohli and AB together, it felt like anything was possible. At Chinnaswamy, every seat became a drum, every fan a choir.
We watched magic. And we believed every season: this is the year.
Then came 2016.
That year was ours. Virat played like a man possessed. Almost 1000 runs. We were destroying teams. Bangalore was on fire. Every tea stall, every metro coach, every college canteen — all anyone said was “this is it.”
We needed 19 runs in 12 balls in the final.
And we lost.
Silence.
I remember that night. The roads were quiet. Messages stopped. It wasn’t just disappointment — it felt like a betrayal. How many more times could we come this close?
But Did We Quit? Never.
2017 — horrible. 2018, 2019 — more false starts. People laughed at us. Memes everywhere. “RCB is just branding.” “They can never win.”
But guess what? The fans stayed.
We still wore red on matchdays. We still posted “Ee Sala Cup Namde” like maniacs. Because real fans don’t walk away when things fall apart. We stay and help rebuild.
2021 — The End of an Era
Virat stepped down as captain. No trophy. Just years of fire, sweat, passion, loyalty. It broke us a little. Because if anyone deserved to lift that cup, it was him.
But even then, we didn’t look for a new team. Faf came in. Calm head. Steady hand. We moved forward.
Now, 2025 — Same Dream. Same Madness. Same Us.
We’ve changed players. We’ve changed coaches. We’ve tried every formula. And still, the trophy hasn’t come.
But let me tell you this: No other team has a fanbase like ours. No one comes to the stadium when the team’s losing like we do. No one trends hashtags after defeats like we do. No one feels it in their chest like we do.
We’re not just fans. We’re part of this team. Through every low and every almost.
And when we finally win — not if, but when — you’ll hear Bangalore from space.
Because this isn’t just cricket for us. This is identity. This is loyalty. This is home.
RCB till we die.