RCB and CSK fans light up Bengaluru streets

Bengaluru: Shades of red, blue, and yellow painted the streets of the Central Business District (CBD) on Saturday as thousands of cricket fans thronged M Chinnaswamy Stadium, each donning their favourite teams’ jerseys.

The atmosphere was electrifying around the stadium for the match between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Despite a forecast of heavy rain and thunderstorms, fans began gathering outside the stadium as early as 1 pm for the 7:30 pm match.

“Weather may play spoilsport, but it is worth taking a chance as we may not see Kohli and MS play in the same match again. This might be the ‘last dance’,” said Aravind Narayanan, a CSK fan waiting outside the stadium.

Jersey sellers capitalised on the occasion, with most running out of stock by the evening. While friendly banter was common among fans hours before the match, the mood sometimes shifted as debates about ‘who’s the best’ heated up.

“There is always an electrifying atmosphere around the city when RCB and CSK play against each other. Unable to get tickets, we opted to watch the match at the RCB Bar and Cafe instead,” said Kiran K, among a group of friends on Church Street.

Unlike the usual sounds of horns and silencers, the atmosphere on MG Road and Queens Road was filled with chants of ‘CSK’ and ‘RCB’. However, the traffic congestion around the stadium remained an issue, choking the adjoining roads as well.

Cubbon Park police detain fan A fan who vowed on Instagram to invade the pitch during the RCB and CSK match was detained by Cubbon Park police as a precaution. Sharing a video on X (formerly Twitter) Bengaluru city police commented “Nice try Buddy! But attempting to breach security during #IPL is a guaranteed six straight into our custody. Sorry mate you’re stumped!”