For many years since the IPL’s start in 2008, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) was known as a team with high-profile stars (like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers) that consistently failed to win the trophy, making them the target of memes and criticism. Their back-to-back title victories in 2025 and 2026 finally broke this long-standing reputation of underperformance.

The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is the world’s largest cricket stadium, with a seating capacity of 132,000. Prior to RCB’s consecutive title wins in 2025 and 2026, only Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011) and Mumbai Indians (2019, 2020) had successfully defended their IPL championships.

Before winning their first title in 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) had reached the IPL finals three times: in 2009 (lost to Deccan Chargers by 6 runs), in 2011 (lost to Chennai Super Kings by 58 runs), and in 2016 (lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 runs). In all three matches, they were in strong positions but collapsed under pressure, earning them the label of ‘chokers’.

On June 4, 2025, just a day after RCB won their historic maiden IPL title, a planned victory celebration at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru turned into a disaster. Due to massive overcrowding and lack of crowd control outside the gates, a deadly stampede occurred, claiming the lives of 11 fans and injuring over 50. The tragedy led to strict safety investigations and cast a dark shadow over RCB’s celebrations.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, born in Bihar in March 2011, made history when he was signed by Rajasthan Royals for INR 1.1 crore at the age of 13. He made his debut in IPL 2025 at just 14 years and 23 days old, and soon became the youngest player to score a century in men’s T20 cricket. During IPL 2026, he continued his exceptional performance, playing with maturity at just 15 years of age.

Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, made his international debut for India on November 15, 1989, in a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi. At just 16 years and 205 days old, he faced a formidable Pakistani bowling attack featuring Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis. His early debut set the standard for young cricket prodigies in India.

The famous sports proverb “form is temporary, class is permanent” means that while an athlete’s current level of performance (form) can fluctuate due to factors like age, fitness, or confidence, their natural talent and technical skill (class) are permanent qualities that will eventually show through. The editorial uses this to highlight how senior players like Kohli, Rohit, Dhoni, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved their critics wrong by performing outstandingly despite their age.

In sports and film, a “cameo” refers to a brief but highly noticeable appearance. In T20 cricket, a batting cameo is a short innings (often lasting just 5 to 15 balls) where a player scores runs at a very high strike rate, usually at the end of the match. In his later years in the IPL, MS Dhoni transitioned into a specialized finisher role for CSK, batting down the order to deliver rapid, high-impact cameos of 20 or 30 runs, which delighted fans and turned games in CSK’s favor.

The idiom “golden goose” comes from Aesop’s Fables, referring to a goose that lays golden eggs, representing a continuous source of wealth. In cricket, the IPL is the ultimate golden goose, with its total business valuation reaching $18.5 billion and its standalone brand value at $3.9 billion in 2026. The league’s media rights for the 2023–2027 cycle were sold for a staggering ₹48,390 crore, making it one of the most lucrative sports leagues in the world.