As RCB lifted trophy, Bengaluru forgot its sleep

As the match ended around 11.30 p.m., celebrations began on the streets, and in the skies. Firecrackers kept everyone awake in every area from the time the final ball was bowled and continued throughout the night. The celebrations went on till 4 a.m. in most places, with many even gathering near the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in the wee hours.

Deepavali came to Bengaluru early. Almost everyone in Bengaluru, breaking language or any other barrier they may have otherwise had, came together to celebrate a night of glory on June 3 as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the city’s beloved cricket team, lifted their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy in its 18th year in Ahmedabad.

As the match ended around 11.30 p.m., celebrations began on the streets, and in the skies. Firecrackers kept everyone awake in every area from the time the final ball was bowled and continued throughout the night. The celebrations went on till 4 a.m. in most places, with many even gathering near the M. Chinnaswamy stadium in the wee hours.

On the streets, the celebrations were equal parts happy and rowdy, as in some areas, even ambulances had to struggle to make their way through the crowds that had gathered. From asking lorry drivers to perform a celebratory honk to autorickshaws spinning on the road like in a video game, the city was gripped in a frenzy.

“It was such a beautiful thing to see everyone united in celebration. All the people from my apartment stood in their balconies and started shouting “Ee sale cup Namde!” and “RCB ge Jai” (all hail RCB) waving the team’s flag soon after the match ended, and no one was complaining, which would not have been the case if it were any other event,” said Aarathi P., a resident of Vajarahalli.

“As a Bengalurean, I could understand the sentiment behind the people on the streets. But I saw that some of them were forcing people to get down from their vehicles and dance. There were also people getting drunk on the main roads and throwing bottles, two-way traffic on one-way streets, and even an ambulance which was stuck due to all the hysteria. The celebrations were expected, and the preparations from the law-keepers should have been better,” said Satwik N., a resident of Jalahalli.