Superstars failed RCB, chaos ruined PBKS; 18 years on, a new IPL champion will rise from history of pain and promise

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Over the last several years, in the lead-up to and during every season of the Indian Premier League, a popular refrain has seized the Royal Challengers Bengaluru faithful. E sala cup namde (this year, the cup is ours) gradually went from a rallying cry to a phrase that attracted mirth, if not downright ridicule.
For 17 years, one of the most backed franchises in the competition tilted unsuccessfully at the windmills. To no one's surprise, they finished one place off the foot of the table in the inaugural edition in 2008, no surprise because of the 'Test' team they had assembled. A year later in South Africa, they reached the final, not because of a massive shake-up in personnel but because of a changed attitude, a bit of assistance from the conditions and the astute captaincy of the peerless Anil Kumble.
When, two seasons later, Daniel Vettori shepherded the side to a second abortive final, there was great conviction that it was only a matter of time before RCB were crowned champions. But between 2012 and 2024, they were in the title race just once more, at home in 2016 when, under Virat Kohli, they lost a game they should have won against David Warner's Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Of the eight original franchises, these two sides and Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) alone are yet to breast the tape. That will change on Tuesday night in Ahmedabad, when the tournament is assured of its first first-time champions since 2022 (Gujarat Titans emerged triumphant on debut). Whether it is arguably the most popular and beloved team in the competition, or the outfit that has largely flown under the radar, is anyone's guess.
Both when they were Kings XI Punjab and now, in their new avatar as Punjab Kings, the northern franchise has boasted some of the best players of their era, among them first captain Yuvraj Singh, the mercurial Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara, Chris Gayle and Sehwag. Yet, they failed singularly to gel as a unit, evidenced by the slew of first-stage eliminations in the last decade. Over the 17 years of the IPL, they have had an extraordinary 16 captains and 10 coaches; it has taken captain No. 17 and coach No. 11, Shreyas Iyer and Ricky Ponting respectively, to forge a fighting fit unit out of unpolished but exciting Indian talent, headlined by the fearless trio of Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera.
RCB, who too underwent a change in nomenclature before the 2024 season as they transformed to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (from Bangalore), haven't been short on star power. Kohli is the obvious face of the franchise; he has led them 143 times and invariably overshadowed everyone else, even those who answered to the names of AB de Villiers, Yuvraj, Gayle, Shane Watson and Mitchell Starc. For a long time, the franchise was eclipsed by the giant shadow of the showman from Delhi. Now, it is showing promising signs of stepping out of that shadow, with no little help from Kohli himself, who relinquished the captaincy before the start of the 2022 season after eight and a half years in charge.
While Punjab relentlessly chased Shreyas at the November auction in Jeddah, having identified him as their future captain from the time Ponting moved from Delhi Capitals, RCB almost 'settled' for Rajat Patidar, who didn't have great leadership credentials coming into IPL 2025. Neither man has disappointed. In December last year, interestingly enough at RCB's home base, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the two men squared off in the final of the inter-state T20 tournament for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Patidar helming Madhya Pradesh and Shreyas masterminding Mumbai's fortunes. Despite being backed by a small but vociferous crowd that went 'RCB, ArrCeeBee' throughout the duration of the contest, Patidar and MP had to bow to the nous of Shreyas and the might of Mumbai.
Patidar will hope for a different, more fulfilling and historic script at the Narendra Modi Stadium, in what ought to be a fitting tribute to Kohli, Mr. IPL for obviously compelling reasons.
The promise of a maiden tryst with glory could mess with the nerves, but there is enough experience and wisdom in both ranks – Andy Flower, the RCB coach, led Zimbabwe for long and with great success, just like Ponting did Australia – to ensure the final will be won by the team that plays better, not lost by the one overwhelmed by the stage and the occasion.