RCB’s Chinnaswamy Homecoming After Four Seasons

The chants of RCB were ever so loud last evening. The Royal Challengers Bangalore are known to have one of the most loyal fanbases in the league and they showed up in numbers as Royal Challengers took on the Mumbai Indians, another powerhouse, with a really strong fanbase. After four years, Royal Challengers got to play at the Chinnaswamy and what unfolded was a treat for each fan in the stadium.

A lot changed in the last four years though. For starters, Virat Kohli is no longer Bangalore’s leader and Ab De Villiers is no longer a part of the IPL. Mohammad Siraj, a run machine back in 2018-2019 is one of the best bowlers in the country and is also Bangalore’s strike-bowler now. He was the first to give fans a reason to smile against the Mumbai Indians.

In his first two overs, Siraj bowled a testing spell leaving Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan in all sorts of discomfort. A struggling Mumbai Indians crowd gave the Bangalore fans a lot to be delighted about early, given Mumbai’s superior record against the home side. A comeback from Tilak Verma though in typical Mumbai style had the Bangalore fans sweating briefly.

The chase though was where the absolute treat and welcome was given. Virat Kohli, Bangalore’s very own adopted son walked out to the middle with their new captain, Faf Du Plessis, who has been at the helm for an year. From seeing Virat and AB together for the best part of a decade, Royal Challengers were now treated to a Virat and Faf Special.

Virat Kohli, who struggled to find form through the last four years, came back to his vintage self in the last year, and his first innings at the Chinnaswamy, after a gap left him having so much fun. He took the bowlers on, ran hard, and left Mumbai sweating to his music. Before him though, Faf Du Plessis, welcomed to the Bangalore crowd after all his years in Yellow, gave Bangalore a reason to look at him.

He set the tone, playing some classy shots, as Virat and Faf looked like they were competing with each other shot after shot. Together, the opening partners made easy work of the chase as they played some breathtaking shots, while also finding ways to sneak twos in a ground which is not the most friendly for strike-rotation with small boundaries. The home side quickly showed that they were too good for the Mumbai Indians, as the opening pair were clinical, leaving the RCB crowd dancing and cheering, watching the return of their stars at home.