BENGALURU: So, it has finally happened – ladies, gentlemen, and friends beyond the binary! RCB have finally won a trophy, with Smriti Mandhana, Ellysse Perry & Co. finally lifting a cup after a thrilling, low-scoring match in the final. This brought a lot of happiness to people around the world, but it was heartwarming to watch people on the streets celebrate and shout slogans of victory.
Nobody objected to their behaviour even though they were technically adding to the traffic in that locality. Personally, I have not been the greatest supporter of RCB over the years, but having supported the Indian team all through the ’90s, I can empathise with fans of the league for their undying support over nearly two decades.
This is the happiest I have seen Bengalureans in a long time. The last few weeks weren’t particularly pleasant for inhabitants of the city. There were reports of water crisis in the city, sparking rumours and rejuvenated demands for work-from-hometown among the IT employees of the city. There were also reports of lakes drying up around the city, along with a blast at a famous eatery.
Amidst these dreary news reports, the sight of the RCB ladies winning the trophy certainly put a smile on the faces of critics like me. If anything, the RCB winning the WPL puts more pressure on the men to repeat the feat. Over the years, RCB has been a delight for bookies, since they were the most predictable side in the league. Of course, there were other teams too. There is Punjab, who consistently rank at the bottom. There is Delhi, who have never been able to see the trophy amidst the smoke and fog. But RCB was particularly singled out, since they had the biggest stars in their stable.
As a writer, I have a natural proclivity to support the underdogs, and that is why RCB never featured in my list of favourite teams. As a standup comedian, I have earned money and punchlines at RCB’s expense. As a cricket lover, I found it hard to reason with them – imagine having the three greatest T20 players of all time in your team, and yet ending up at the bottom of the table. In fact, things had reached such a stage that Virat Kohli and ‘Mr. Nags’ would joke about RCB not winning the cup. RCB became a practice pitch for upcoming astrologers, palmists and philosophers. The team had become a reference point in memes and reels. But no more!
As the ladies of RCB have shown the way, my loyalties this time are divided between Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The Hyderabad team is at the opposite end of the spectrum to RCB. They have no superstars, no hype, and nobody is walking around wearing their T-shirts. I was conflicted about my divided loyalties, when news flowed in that this year’s league might be split in two parts. God, and the BCCI, work in mysterious ways! And therein lies my answer. I will be spending the next two months supporting two teams.
Of course, one could argue that the IPL doesn’t mean much in the larger scheme of things. I was of the same opinion 17 years ago. And yet here I am, writing columns about the tournament after nearly two decades. I have no qualms in two-timing with my loyalties this year. In fact, that seems like the way to go forward – to hedge one’s heartbreaks by dividing one’s loyalties. And I shall be among the millions who while stuck in traffic, will look at their phones and exclaim – Ee Sala Cup (maybe) Nammade!!
(The writer’s views are personal)