How to describe something that seems indescribable? Just think of it: A bunch of fans are jumping up and down on the chairs. And then you observe some smashing the chairs onto the floor followed by a few supporters trying to dance after falling on the floor in sheer excitement.
On a Tuesday night, Bengaluru reached fever pitch as RCB defeated PBKS to end their trophy drought in the Indian Premier League. After 18 long seasons, Virat Kohli, who has played in every one of them, was shedding tears of joy. It was a night where RCB’s players and fans poured their emotions in buckets.
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The clock had struck 10.25 PM. It was time to take some refreshments. Just as yours truly went across to the vendor to order for food items, Shreyas Iyer, the PBKS skipper, was dismissed by Romario Shepherd. The cacophony of sounds that followed had to be seen to be believed. For a moment, in an imaginary land, it felt as if the fans themselves would magically find a route through the TV sets and join the RCB players in the middle in their wild celebrations.
That was followed by a mixture of “oohs and aahs” and ecstasy as the likes of Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis and Azmat Omarzai trudged back to the pavilion. The one player who gave the passionate supporters some shivers was Shashank Singh. Despite losing batting partners at the other end, Shashank smashed one six after another.
Even in the last over, he smacked three hits over the boundary rope. But that wasn’t enough for PBKS: At 11.24 PM, RCB were crowned champions for the first time. Not surprisingly, there was bedlam in the city. As you came out of the mall, the skies were lit up with an amalgam of fireworks.
The fans were dancing not just outside the mall but also on the elevators, shouting ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde.’ On the way back home, there were processions after processions. Joyous fans were beating drums and screaming the same old slogan. Incidentally, the journey had started in a similar fashion: A group of fans making a deafening noise on one of the streets when Jitesh Sharma went hammer and tongs at the opposition.
It was a night where one witnessed the vibrant colours of Bengaluru in different forms and in different ways. A night where RCB’s brilliance on the field was coruscating through the dull clouds up and above. It also healed the hearts of millions of RCB supporters.