Indian Premier League (IPL) started in 2008 on the back of India’s surprising win in the 2007 T20 World Cup. The league was an instant success thanks to Brendon McCullum’s insane 158 in the very first game of the league. Since then, the title has been won by Mumbai Indians (5 times), Chennai Super Kings (4 times), Kolkata Knight Riders ( 2 times), Hyderabad ( 2 times, once as Deccan Chargers and once as Sunrisers), Rajasthan (once, the inaugural edition), and once by newly formed franchise Gujarat Titans.
The three teams who have played every season of IPL and haven’t managed a win are Delhi Capitals (earlier Delhi Daredevila), Punjab Kings (earlier Kings XI Punjab), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Kochi Tuskers, Pune Warriors India, Rising Pune Super Giants, Gujarat Lions, and Lucknow Super Giants are the other teams who never won the IPL. However, the first 4 out of them only had a brief guest appearance in the tournament while Lucknow are still there but only in their second season. Though Lucknow has made back-to-back playoff appearances and who knows, this may still be their year.
Among all these teams who have never won the IPL, one team’s fans stand out, and that is the Bangalore franchise. Widely known on “cricket social media” as the most abusive and vitriolic fans, RCB fans gave another example of their worst behaviour when Gujarat Titans easily brushed them aside in the last league match of the season. The humbling loss knocked RCB out of the tournament and made sure Mumbai Indians made it through to face Lucknow Super Giants in the first eliminator.
The star of the show for Gujarat Titans during their comfortable win against RCB was Shubman Gill, who stroked a brilliant century leading his team to a 6-wicket win. Gill ended with 104 off 52 balls in innings studded with 5 fours and 8 sixes. However, little did Gill anticipate what was to follow on social media after that impressive knock. Shubman Gill’s social media accounts were flooded with thousands of abuses, there were people wishing for his death all over the internet.
If that wasn’t bad enough, RCB fans dug up the social media accounts of Gill’s family members, including his sister, and started showering abuses at them as well just because Gill played well for his team. The deluge of abuses and threats makes you hope that the Gill family doesn’t check their social media accounts for a few months.
Gill wasn’t the only Gujarat player to get abused by RCB fans, his teammate Vijay Shankar, who scored a half-century and put on 123 for the second wicket with Gill wasn’t spared either. At least in Shankar’s case, the abuses were limited to him alone and no family member was targeted but still, he had to see his Instagram feed turn into a flood of abuses just because he played well.
Gill and Shankar are not exceptions but rather the rule when it comes to RCB fans. Throughout this season of IPL, RCB fans have become infamous for their terrible behaviour. Whether it was shouting “Vadapav” at Indian captain Rohit Sharma or trolling and abusing Indian legend Gautam Gambhir, or even trolling the youngster from Afghanistan Naveen-ul-Haq, RCB fans’ behaviour made more news than their players’ performances.
Over the years, we have seen sportspersons get abused on social media if they don’t play well as passionate fans go over the edge, but RCB fans have turned the trend on its head. They start abusing anyone who plays well for their team. Interestingly, RCB fans never take a look at their perennially unbalanced team and question their pathetic management but are more willing to abuse the opposition for playing well against them.
Why is it always RCB, why is it always RCB fans, is the team leadership paying any heed to their fans’ behaviour online or are they comfortable with this image of the “abusive franchise”? The silence from RCB seniors and their management suggests they are very happy to see their “fans” abuse everyone and their families if they perform well against the Bengaluru franchise.
