<p>Ahmedabad: When Royal Challengers Bengaluru were on course for an emphatic win over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 last Thursday, their vast legion of fans already started to make their travel plans for Ahmedabad. Many of them instantly began looking into travel portals, booking the best available flight and hotel options in a bid to be part of history. </p>.<p>The scramble for a place inside the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium was mad to say the least, similar to finding a spot in a watering hole in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. Demand for tickets peaked like a sweltering summer heat here, while fan associations were wrestling with the franchise for the ‘management quota’.</p>.<p>In fact, the areas surrounding the stadium were buzzing with activity on Monday evening itself, with a heavy demand for RCB jerseys, especially Virat Kohli’s No. 18. The mood was no different than in the Central Business District in Bengaluru, with even RCB skipper Rajat Patidar acknowledging the popularity the franchise enjoys even amongst neutrals on the eve of the big battle.</p>.IPL 2025 Final: 18-year wait ends as RCB win maiden title.<p>Match day here was electric, with thousands thronging the streets in the lead-up to the venue at least four hours prior to the start of the final. Thousands sporting the red and blue jerseys and screaming “RCB, RCB” packed the stadium almost three hours before the scheduled start, leaving one wondering if it was the Chinnaswamy Stadium. </p>.<p>“When RCB secured their place in the playoffs, some of our members started to book their tickets to Ahmedabad,” said Preetam Karigar, who runs the Namma Team RCB Fan Club that has lakhs of followers on the various social media channels.</p>.<p>“Some of us waited, but the moment Punjab were five wickets down in Qualifier 1, we booked our tickets. Around 25 members from our group are in Ahmedabad for the final, and the RCB management arranged 25 tickets for us. I’m not there for the final in Ahmedabad as I’m overseeing fan engagement at a pub in Bengaluru. Many of my friends are in Ahmedabad, and they can’t wait to see RCB end 18 years of pain and hurt,” added Karigar, who works with Elite Medicals.</p>.<p>Unlike Preetam, RCB Fan Army’s Aditya Bharadwaj didn’t want to miss out on being a part of history. Aditya, who works with the Wipro Foundation, wished his hero Virat Kohli would get the trophy that’s missing from his cabinet. “Kohli has been the heart and soul of RCB. The amount of runs he has scored for us and the stuff he has done is legendary.</p>.<p>The final had the same buzz as when India took on Australia in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup here. Then it was the hue of India colours, now it was the red and blue of RCB.</p>
<p>Ahmedabad: When Royal Challengers Bengaluru were on course for an emphatic win over Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1 last Thursday, their vast legion of fans already started to make their travel plans for Ahmedabad. Many of them instantly began looking into travel portals, booking the best available flight and hotel options in a bid to be part of history. </p>.<p>The scramble for a place inside the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium was mad to say the least, similar to finding a spot in a watering hole in Bengaluru on Tuesday night. Demand for tickets peaked like a sweltering summer heat here, while fan associations were wrestling with the franchise for the ‘management quota’.</p>.<p>In fact, the areas surrounding the stadium were buzzing with activity on Monday evening itself, with a heavy demand for RCB jerseys, especially Virat Kohli’s No. 18. The mood was no different than in the Central Business District in Bengaluru, with even RCB skipper Rajat Patidar acknowledging the popularity the franchise enjoys even amongst neutrals on the eve of the big battle.</p>.IPL 2025 Final: 18-year wait ends as RCB win maiden title.<p>Match day here was electric, with thousands thronging the streets in the lead-up to the venue at least four hours prior to the start of the final. Thousands sporting the red and blue jerseys and screaming “RCB, RCB” packed the stadium almost three hours before the scheduled start, leaving one wondering if it was the Chinnaswamy Stadium. </p>.<p>“When RCB secured their place in the playoffs, some of our members started to book their tickets to Ahmedabad,” said Preetam Karigar, who runs the Namma Team RCB Fan Club that has lakhs of followers on the various social media channels.</p>.<p>“Some of us waited, but the moment Punjab were five wickets down in Qualifier 1, we booked our tickets. Around 25 members from our group are in Ahmedabad for the final, and the RCB management arranged 25 tickets for us. I’m not there for the final in Ahmedabad as I’m overseeing fan engagement at a pub in Bengaluru. Many of my friends are in Ahmedabad, and they can’t wait to see RCB end 18 years of pain and hurt,” added Karigar, who works with Elite Medicals.</p>.<p>Unlike Preetam, RCB Fan Army’s Aditya Bharadwaj didn’t want to miss out on being a part of history. Aditya, who works with the Wipro Foundation, wished his hero Virat Kohli would get the trophy that’s missing from his cabinet. “Kohli has been the heart and soul of RCB. The amount of runs he has scored for us and the stuff he has done is legendary.</p>.<p>The final had the same buzz as when India took on Australia in the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup here. Then it was the hue of India colours, now it was the red and blue of RCB.</p>