RCB had to wait 18 years to win maiden IPL title, but 3 more teams have endured longer waits and bigger heartbreaks
The two finalists in this year's Indian Premier League had both waited 18 years for their maiden IPL title. But compared to the Punjab Kings, it always felt like a first title would mean more to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. For their entire title-less run, the team had crafted some of the most sparkling batting performances in the IPL. They have a fanbase that is expressive and loyal. All that gave RCB's wait its own story and spirit. Across sports, and time, there have been similar waits.
Before this year, RCB's record in the previous 17 seasons of the IPL read 7 semi-final/playoff appearances and three finals. Their home ground, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, was made for batting, with flat pitches and smaller boundaries. For the most part, RCB spent a disproportionate share of its budget on high-profile batters, notably Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. Ironically, when they won the title, they did so with perhaps the lowest superstar quotient they have ever had. Among the eight teams that have won the IPL, RCB has taken the longest so far – 18 years. The previous highest was the Mumbai Indians, the IPL showtime team, which took six years to win its first trophy.
In football, the veritable cycle of hope and disappointment is England at the football World Cup. The last time England won the title was in 1966, which was also the last time it hosted the World Cup. Since then, England, which has historically had a strong club structure, has created many 'this is the year' narratives, but never quite crossed the line.
For nearly as long as Formula 1 has been around, the red car has been a fixture. Ferrari and F1 are synonymous with each other. It's the most winning team, with 15 driver championships [s – roughly, one every five years. But there was a 20-year stretch during which it did not win the driver's championship. Between 1950 to 1979, Ferrari dominated, winning nine championships. However, between 1980 to 1999, their championship count read ZERO. The drought ended in 2000, and over the next 24 years, it lifted the silverware six times, albeit still behind Red Bull and Mercedes with eight and seven wins respectively.
It was also into such a breach that Michael Schumacher joined the team for the 1996 season, with the team not having won the driver's title since 1979. With Schumacher at the centre, Ferrari started restoring itself, climbing up the grid, fusing a slickness into its historical panache. Four years, it fell short, at times tantalisingly so. But in 20000, it came together, and Schumacher and Ferrari won that elusive title and went on a run of five straight.
From cricketing possibility to mathematical impossibility, courtesy the Duckworth-Lewis system for recalculating targets in rain-affected matches, in 1992. One of the two sides out of 10 to come to the quarter-finals with a clean record, and then a quarter-final knockout in 1996. A last-over tie in 1999. Duckworth-Lewis again in 2003, at home. Unable to defend 11 runs in the last over in 2015 and finally, failing to chase down 24 runs off four overs in a T20 World Cup final. This is South Africa's list of woes in the ODI and T20 World Cups.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
38 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Brazil could reach World Cup with a win on Ancelotti's home debut; Ecuador also close
SAO PAULO — Two more South American teams could qualify for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. Second-placed Ecuador will do it by winning in Peru. Fourth-placed Brazil or third-placed Paraguay could secure a berth with a win in Sao Paulo as long as Venezuela loses at Uruguay. The most anticipated match of the round is in Sao Paulo, where Carlo Ancelotti will make his home debut as Brazil coach. The host, which drew Ecuador 0-0 last Thursday, is two points behind Paraguay. Only World Cup champion Argentina has qualified from South America. Lionel Messi's team takes on Colombia in Buenos Aires in a match in which coach Lionel Scaloni will continue deepening his squad. The two final rounds of South American qualifying are in September. The top six teams earn direct spots for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Whoever finishes seventh goes to an international playoff. Also on Tuesday, eighth-placed Bolivia will host 10th-placed Chile. Ancelotti's changes to shore up the defense at Ecuador worked. Defender Alex impressed on debut and veteran midfielder Casemiro improved the defense. More changes are expected on Tuesday. Striker Richarlison lost his place in the starting lineup to Matheus Cunha during training, and teenager Estêvão is expected to make way on the left wing for Raphinha, who was suspended last week. Casemiro enjoyed success with Ancelotti at Real Madrid, and said on Sunday he returned to the national team after more than a year's absence due to his performances at Manchester United. 'I am glad to be back and back playing well, I want to stress that," Casemiro said. 'I am not here because I know the coach, but because I deserve it. This was undoubtedly one of the most important years of my career.' Paraguay will not be an easy challenge for Brazil. Since coach Gustavo Alfaro took over, the Paraguayans have been unbeaten for nine matches. The Argentine coach has already equaled the all-time record for qualifying points set by coach Paulo César Carpegiani in the campaign for the 1998 World Cup in France. As the only South American team that has never made it to the World Cup, Venezuela will be under extra pressure at Centenario Stadium against coach Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay. Uruguay is fifth and could be overtaken by Venezuela. A win for Venezuela and coach Fernando Batista will almost lock up seventh place and boost its chances of fighting for a direct spot. A defeat could give Bolivia a chance to bid for the international playoff position in the two final rounds. 'We have three finals in which we can't overlook, we can't fail. We are ready for that," Batista said after the 2-0 win against Bolivia. 'We are focused on getting the most possible points.' Uruguay has been enduring a shaky patch with no wins in its last four qualifiers. A home victory against Venezuela is key for the team to regain momentum and confidence. Bielsa, who has been clashing with Uruguay players since the Copa America last year, said he was to blame for the poor performance in the 2-0 loss at Paraguay. 'I truly feel responsible for the situation of the team because the problem is the lack of creation of scoring opportunities, and my position before this problem is to propose solutions,' a soft-toned Bielsa said. 'When I propose and I have players who are special in their clubs, but can't do it in the squad I have ... I have no option to recognize my lack of efficiency." Uruguay remained without key midfielder Federico Valverde, who was injured, and striker Darwin Núñez, suspended. soccer: /hub/soccer
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
MS Dhoni among seven others inducted into ICC's Hall of Fame
LONDON: Former India captain MS Dhoni was on Monday inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame for the year 2025 along with Australian great Matthew Hayden and South Africa's Hashim Amla. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will be inducting seven cricketers 'five men and two women' in its Hall of Fame 2025. "Celebrated for his calm under pressure and unmatched tactical nous, but also a trailblazer in the shorter formats, MS Dhoni's legacy as one of the game's greatest finishers, leaders and wicketkeepers has been honoured with his induction into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame," said the ICC statement. "With 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India, Dhoni's numbers reflect not just excellence but extraordinary consistency, fitness and longevity," it said. Dhoni, who led India to the T20 World Cup win in 2007, ODI World Cup victory in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013, said in a statement shared by the governing body that, "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world." "To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever."
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
RCB's bitter victory - The cost of celebration
Bengaluru: An aerial view of fans gathering for Royal Challengers Bengaluru�s fan engagement programme after the team won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo) (PTI06_04_2025_000476B) By Vinod Jacob, Urban strategist and general manager, Namma Bengaluru Foundation The finger-pointing began almost as soon as the news broke. On June 4, a devastating stampede outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium shattered what, less than 24 hours earlier, had been a moment of pure jubilation for Royal Challengers Bengaluru fans, celebrating their first IPL trophy win after eighteen agonising seasons. Eleven lives were claimed, and dozens were injured. The irony was palpable: a triumph long yearned for, now overshadowed by loss. Arrests were made. Officials suspended, followed by more resignations, ex gratia promises — and even calls for Virat Kohli's arrest — while the blame game raged on. But this isn't merely about individual culpability. This is about a systemic breakdown — a question of total administrative failure, especially when dealing with an event that touches the very core of India's cricket passion. For a nation where cricket borders on religion, any public gathering of this magnitude demands meticulous foresight. Was M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with its 35,000-seat capacity, ever truly suitable for a city-wide victory parade, particularly one made free after initially being a paid event? The answer, tragically, is no. The entire celebration should have been shifted to a venue, like the Palace Grounds, the BIEC, or a similar venue, offering proper entry/exit points and capacity for millions. The fact that RCB was headed to the finals had been known for a full week. This provided ample time for the responsible authorities to engage in comprehensive planning, coordinate with the police machinery, and anticipate the monumental public turnout. To now deflect blame onto an already overburdened police department, reeling from the previous night's unruly celebrations where citizens went berserk, pulling out barricades, seems not just unfair, but a convenient diversion from deeper administrative shortcomings. And why was there need for two locations? A single, well-planned convergence at one venue could have ensured effective crowd management, robust contingency plans, and, most critically, citizen safety. That safety aspect appears to have been completely disregarded. The stadium's own infrastructure is wanting – narrow, unramped gates with metal obstructions, utterly incapable of handling a rush, even for a normal game, let alone a historic celebration. Bengaluru has hosted large-scale gatherings before; surely lessons could have been learned from major shows that proceeded without incident. Other metros – Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai – have successfully orchestrated similar mass celebrations. Why, then, can Bengaluru, the supposed IT capital, not leverage technology for better crowd management, anticipating flows and ensuring security? A bus parade, like those seen elsewhere, would have been infinitely safer than directing millions to a fixed point of convergence. Unchecked chaos also inflicted damage on Cubbon Park. Trees, plants, and even birds' nests were destroyed due to the event's chaotic spillover — another terrible blow to Bengaluru's strained biodiversity, a particularly painful scar on the so-called 'Garden City'. Fans have every right to celebrate after an 18-year wait; they cannot be blamed for their exuberant outpouring. While citizens do bear some responsibility for failing to adhere to basic crowd control measures like queuing and respecting barricades, the primary culpability lies with the planning. The critical misallocation of manpower at free gates, with too few police for too many unmanned entry points and the added burden of VIP security, tragically sealed the fate for those eleven lives. The euphoria of victory has been drowned out by the cries of anguish. Bengaluru must now reflect, learn, and ensure that no triumph, no matter how sweet, is ever again marred by such preventable sorrow. The blame isn't diffused; it lies squarely with a system unprepared to manage its grand moments. What systemic changes will we truly implement to prevent history from tragically repeating itself ?
