RCB team gets grand welcome at B’luru airport, Shivakumar gifts Kannada flag to Virat Kohli
Bengaluru: The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team arrived at the HAL airport here on Wednesday, where they were personally welcomed by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
He presented bouquets to each player. Dy CM Shivakumar specially greeted cricketer Virat Kohli, presenting him with both the RCB team flag and the Kannada flag. Virat Kohli joyfully received the flags and posed for photographs with the Dy CM.
Shivakumar was also seen waving the RCB flag from his car while on his way to the airport.
RCB, captained by Rajat Patidar, defeated Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings by six runs to lift the IPL trophy for the first time at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. The side also became the fourth different team to lift the IPL trophy in the last four seasons.
Virat Kohli top-scored with 43 off 35 balls as RCB posted an imposing 190/9. In their defence, RCB’s brilliant bowlers, led by Player of the Match, Krunal Pandya’s match-winning spell of 2-17 in four overs, restricted Punjab Kings to 184/7, meaning that the franchise and Kohli finally became IPL champions.
IPL 2025 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s plans to organise an open bus victory parade following its first-ever championship win have been cancelled, said the Bengaluru Traffic Police on Wednesday.
As per an earlier announcement from the franchise, the open-top bus parade was supposed to begin from 5 p.m. and run from Vidhana Soudha to M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the team’s home ground, where a felicitation event would take place from 6 p.m.
Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated on Wednesday that for security reasons, the players will not be travelling to the stadium in an open vehicle. The KSCA will organise a programme at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Necessary police security and traffic management arrangements have been made to avoid congestion.
Giving details about the felicitation programme by the government on the grand steps of the Vidhana Soudha, Parameshwara further stated, “All the players will arrive by bus to the Vidhana Soudha. After the programme concludes, they will return to Chinnaswamy Stadium by bus. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar will offer their congratulations. Two members from the RCB team will speak.”
Parameshwara further clarified that there are no other events planned apart from this.