RCB's Playoff Surge Adds Excitement to IPL Playoffs at Narendra Modi Stadium

Interest Peaks Despite Gujarat Titans' Absence as Fans Flock for Qualifier 1 and Eliminator

May 21, 2024 - 13:49
RCB's Playoff Surge Adds Excitement to IPL Playoffs at Narendra Modi Stadium
The Narendra Modi Stadium, the setting for IPL 2024’s Qualifier 1, between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The squad that has been the most reliable of all the teams in 2018 IPL is Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who finished first in the league stage. However, the majority appears to favor Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) over other teams when it comes to choosing the team of the current season, largely due to their incredible playoff comeback.

Ava de, which means "Bring it on," is written on a flex banner that features Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill and a few of his teammates. The banner is located about a kilometer or two before the Narendra Modi Stadium, the site of Tuesday's and Wednesday's playoff games, Qualifier 1 and Eliminator, respectively. There is some enthusiasm for these two playoff games even though Gill and company weren't able to exactly put it on. And RCB deserves a good deal of credit for it.


"In the past few days, there has been a longer line at the box office (where reserved tickets are picked up), especially for the Eliminator, which features the Rajasthan Royals against the Royals on Wednesday. However, the lineup for the KKR-Sunrisers Hyderabad Qualifier 1 on Tuesday has also been rather lengthy today.

"Tickets for the Royals vs. RCB game quickly sold out when they went on sale online on May 14. Few tickets are still available (for both games) at the time. Thus, despite the absence of the Gujarat Titans, there should be a sizable turnout on both of the two days, an insider with the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) stated on Monday.

Given how skillfully captain Faf du Plessis and player Virat Kohli have led the club to six straight victories, it is not surprising that RCB is attracting a lot of attention. Whether you like it or not, even if Kohli is having trouble playing, his mere presence will draw large audiences.

Consequently, it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate to state that RCB has at least partially distracted from Knight Riders, the team atop the standings. The fact that there haven't been many KKR jersey sales at the Motera thus far is evidence of it.

"Most people are purchasing RCB jerseys. Priced at ₹300, the jerseys featuring Virat Kohli's name are still in high demand, according to Vilas Pawar, a jersey vendor who traveled from Solapur, Maharashtra early on Monday morning. Despite the intense heat, Pawar took no time at all to set up shop just outside the Motera establishment.

Barrier from heatwaves

Despite the weather being 44 degrees Celsius, a large number of individuals showed up as early as 10 a.m., leaving the Motera Stadium ticket office staff with little time to unwind. In this situation akin to a furnace, the GCA is also making every effort to ensure the safety of the spectators.

Motera Stadium, shaped like an amphitheater, can accommodate 1,32,000 people in seats.

"We want to have a packed house for both of these games. In particular, it might be warmer than 44 degrees tomorrow (Tuesday). Thus, in light of these considerations, we are implementing specific procedures to ensure the safety of the spectators, GCA secretary Anil Patel informed The presstime.

In addition to eight additional ambulances in case of an emergency, two makeshift hospitals have been set up at the location. Additionally, there will be medical units at both the regular stands and the VIP enclosures. Additionally, spectators will receive complimentary sachets of powder.

Patel stated, "We had to be prepared with these measures in light of the heatwave in the city."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

Punam Shaw I am a versatile full-stack developer skilled in both front-end and back-end technologies, creating comprehensive web applications and solutions. I have done B.com in Accountancy hons.