RCB have beaten defending champions KKR and then CSK at their own den at Chepauk
When it comes to making fun of people or teams, there are very few in cricketing circles equal to former Indian opener Virender Sehwag.
The former Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) opener targeted Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) empty cabinet for Indian Premier League (IPL) titles despite their strong start to the season. Overall, RCB do have a title as they had lifted the Women’s Premier League under Smriti Mandhana’s captaincy last season.
The franchise’s slogan ‘Ee Saala Cup Namde’ (This Year The Trophy Is Ours) has also gone stale with time as it had become a point of mockery by other teams’ fans, prompting Virat Kohli to tell his teammates to stop using it for IPL 2025.
Even RCB great AB de Villiers felt that it was the right move saying they should’ve quit many years ago.
“I think so (RCB will win the trophy this year), but Virat told me I’m not allowed to say it anymore and I understand where he comes from because we’ve been saying it for many many years now, but we are going to stop this season in saying that and maybe that will sort of turn things around for RCB,” De Villiers had said on his YouTube channel.
That seemed to have taken some pressure off RCB as they comprehensively beat defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2025 curtainraiser by seven wickets and 24 balls to spare.
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Then they beat their bitter rivals Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk after a gap of 17 years by a big margin of 50 runs to climb to the top of table with a Net Run Rate of 2.666.
Despite the strong start, Sehwag took a brutal swipe at Rajat Patidar’s side implying that the elation is just a temporary thing.
“Gareebon ko bhi toh rehne de, photo le le thodi der. Pata nahi kitnin der gareeb log upar rahenge. (Let the poor be on top of the IPL points, let them click photos. Who knows for how long they will be at the top),” Sehwag said on Cricbuzz’s talk show.
He further elaborated on his comment, explaining that RCB are a poor franchise because they lack trophies.
“What do you think, I was talking about money? No. They are all wealthy in terms of money. Franchises earn 400-500 crore every season. I’m not talking about that. The ones who haven’t won a single trophy, I’m calling them gareeb,” Sehwag added.
RCB will look to keep their momentum intact when they face Gujarat Titans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
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