Ahmedabad was swept by Virat Kohli mania, from Paldi to the Old High Court to Motera. In anticipation of Kohli's long-cherished goal of becoming an IPL champion, all routes headed to the Narendra Modi stadium hours before the match began. He was the center of attention on Tuesday as the sole one-club player still competing in the Indian Premier League and the former impulsive West Delhi youngster who is now the heart of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Kohli was the one man you could count on to pack the largest cricket stadium. The Gujarat Titans, the home team, have not been able to do so during the season. It's not surprise that the sponsors and broadcasters, who are investing a lot of money to make the IPL the spectacle it is and looking for a return on their investment, were overjoyed when RCB defeated Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1.

Virat Kohli was seen on the sidelines, engrossed in shadow practice, getting ready for his 267th IPL game, as singer Shankar Mahadevan infused the crowd with a sense of national pride.

Consider Kohli as the fan magnate who would finally win an IPL championship after a lifetime of waiting. At least that's what the crowd in the stadium appeared to believe. Sugumar, the unusual superfan of the team who paints his body red and wears a warrior mask—and who is even riding the RCB team bus this year—would be overshadowed by the average RCB fan's power and enthusiasm.

"I have come from Shivamogga," said Shalini, a 21-year-old engineering student and one of the several people who have made the journey from Karnataka to Ahmedabad. "This Year the Cup Is Ours"

The common cheer among RCB supporters in Kannada, which means "This year the Cup will be ours," is as follows: The use of the Kannada phrase is prohibited for all RCB players, officials, and even former players. Arguably, AB Devilliers is the second-most influential player on the RCB team, behind the jersey, and Virat has requested that I refrain from using it. Devilliers was a RCB Hall of Famer and broadcaster, and he arrived as No. 18. The other RCB legend who could smash sixes at will during his peak was Chris Gayle.

In the IPL's early years, RCB came close to capturing a championship. They first placed last in the South African IPL in 2009. In 2011, two years later, once more. When Kohli was the next big thing, it was around that time. When they reached the championship once again in 2016, he would be dominating the stage with the most productive season a batsman has ever recorded, scoring 973 runs. Kohli had become the city of Bangalore's adopted son, and by that time his fan base had increased significantly.

After Shreyas Iyer put RCB in Ahmedabad, Kohli strode out to bat, and it's no surprise that Bengaluru's cafes and theaters were glued to their mega screens. The ancient ritual of nimbu-mirchi, which is thought to ward off the evil eye on Bangalore's streets, was carried out in a vehicle.

Because of his wife's connection to Bengaluru, the previous British Prime Minister, a passionate cricket enthusiast, was in the stadium cheering for RCB. Television news featured images of "havans" held in support of RCB. As a ceremony to appease the gods, milk was even poured over Kohli posters. In the age of social media, some of these might be eye-catching tricks. However, this level of excitement is seldom observed prior to an IPL final. It's still the domain of India's men in blue.

The most devoted supporters of the IPL were sporting No 18 from all across the nation and beyond on Tuesday. It would be safe to assume that RCB's red significantly outnumbered Punjab Kings' orange.

CSK is the only other franchise with such fervent fans. And the fans dressed in yellow have had the joy of seeing their side win more games than they have lost. The throng of people gathered in the stadium with a seating capacity of over one lakh on the Sabarmati's banks were swept by emotion as RCB supporters longed to see their team win for the first time in eighteen tries.

Read Also: IPL Final Thriller: Was RCB’s Chase Against PBKS the Greatest Ever?

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