<p>Fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are trying every trick in the book to get their home team to finally win the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season.</p>.<p>While fans in Nepal conducted a puja to help RCB win a match against the Punjab Kings earlier this month, fans closer to home have also been showing their support in unique ways — often involving superstitions.</p>.<p><strong>Lucky jersey</strong></p>.<p>For many, the RCB jersey is sacred. Shoaib Ahmed, 28, buys a new jersey every year. “Early on, I noticed that every time I put the jersey to wash, the team would perform badly. So now, for the entirety of the IPL season, I make it a point not to wash the jersey,” he shares. Some even make it a point to wear the jersey to sleep for extra luck.</p>.RCB fans bring 'Ee Saala Cup Namde’ chants in Brisbane too.<p><strong>Selective company</strong></p>.<p>On match day, Gaurav Sukhija starts his day by kissing the RCB logo and Virat Kohli’s name on the jersey before putting it on. He is also particular about the company he keeps while watching matches. “If I’m watching with a particular friend and RCB loses more than once, I avoid watching the game with them for the rest of the season,” says the 33-year-old businessman.</p>.<p>Jhanvi S, an engineering student, has a similar superstition. “After studying the pattern over the years, I figured that one of my childhood friends was bringing in bad energy, as she didn’t support the team. So this year, I’m not meeting her on any of the match days. It seems to be working so far,” she says.</p>.<p><strong>Temple run</strong></p>.<p>Many fans religiously visit Sai Baba and Hanuman temples during the IPL season. “I go to the Sai Baba temple in Malleswaram every Thursday to pray for the team, and on the morning of their match, I offer a prayer at home,” shares Sharan K, 34.</p>.<p><strong>Long shower</strong> </p>.<p>Gautam A G, a Bengalurean working with a company in Japan, avoids watching the toss, as he believes the team loses if he does. “I start from ball one,” he says. He also adapts specific mannerisms, tailored to each match, to “ward off bad energy and evil eye”.</p>.<p>During the latest RCB match on April 27, against Delhi Capitals, Gautam spent most of the day outside, believing it would bring the team luck. “We lost three wickets when I was home. Then I went to a shop for orange juice, and every time I took a sip, we hit a boundary. I kept sipping that one drink, sitting in a parking lot for two hours — and we won,” he shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the RCB versus Rajasthan Royals match on April 24, he had to endure a long shower. Before he got into the shower, the home team was struggling but as he continued watching while showering, “we got back into the game. I am usually an eco-friendly person, but these were desperate times,” he adds. RCB won the match by 11 runs.</p>
<p>Fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are trying every trick in the book to get their home team to finally win the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season.</p>.<p>While fans in Nepal conducted a puja to help RCB win a match against the Punjab Kings earlier this month, fans closer to home have also been showing their support in unique ways — often involving superstitions.</p>.<p><strong>Lucky jersey</strong></p>.<p>For many, the RCB jersey is sacred. Shoaib Ahmed, 28, buys a new jersey every year. “Early on, I noticed that every time I put the jersey to wash, the team would perform badly. So now, for the entirety of the IPL season, I make it a point not to wash the jersey,” he shares. Some even make it a point to wear the jersey to sleep for extra luck.</p>.RCB fans bring 'Ee Saala Cup Namde’ chants in Brisbane too.<p><strong>Selective company</strong></p>.<p>On match day, Gaurav Sukhija starts his day by kissing the RCB logo and Virat Kohli’s name on the jersey before putting it on. He is also particular about the company he keeps while watching matches. “If I’m watching with a particular friend and RCB loses more than once, I avoid watching the game with them for the rest of the season,” says the 33-year-old businessman.</p>.<p>Jhanvi S, an engineering student, has a similar superstition. “After studying the pattern over the years, I figured that one of my childhood friends was bringing in bad energy, as she didn’t support the team. So this year, I’m not meeting her on any of the match days. It seems to be working so far,” she says.</p>.<p><strong>Temple run</strong></p>.<p>Many fans religiously visit Sai Baba and Hanuman temples during the IPL season. “I go to the Sai Baba temple in Malleswaram every Thursday to pray for the team, and on the morning of their match, I offer a prayer at home,” shares Sharan K, 34.</p>.<p><strong>Long shower</strong> </p>.<p>Gautam A G, a Bengalurean working with a company in Japan, avoids watching the toss, as he believes the team loses if he does. “I start from ball one,” he says. He also adapts specific mannerisms, tailored to each match, to “ward off bad energy and evil eye”.</p>.<p>During the latest RCB match on April 27, against Delhi Capitals, Gautam spent most of the day outside, believing it would bring the team luck. “We lost three wickets when I was home. Then I went to a shop for orange juice, and every time I took a sip, we hit a boundary. I kept sipping that one drink, sitting in a parking lot for two hours — and we won,” he shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the RCB versus Rajasthan Royals match on April 24, he had to endure a long shower. Before he got into the shower, the home team was struggling but as he continued watching while showering, “we got back into the game. I am usually an eco-friendly person, but these were desperate times,” he adds. RCB won the match by 11 runs.</p>