By IANS,
Bangalore: Three consecutive wins by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL T20 matches prompted thousands of fans to flock to the flood-lit M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium here late Tuesday expecting a cracker of a tie against Chennai Super Kings.
The fans, who filled the nearly 40,000-capacity stadium, were a hugely disappointed lot as there were not much fireworks from the RCB batsmen except for last minute heroics from local lad Robin Uthappa.
With in-form Jacque Kallis gone early and runs coming in ones and twos, the RCB cheerleaders had a tough time in keeping the fans’ mood upbeat.
Uthappa’s 68 runs in 38 balls with six huge sixes and three fours in the last four overs of the match sent the fans wildly cheering for him and the RCB.
Tuesday’s turnout at the stadium was more than during the last two games when RCB outplayed Kings XI Punjab March 16 and Rajasthan Royals March 19.
Even three hours before the match began at 8 p.m., spectators, mostly youth made a beeline to the stadium for a vantage seat, carrying flags, banners, buntings and posters of their favourite stars like RCB skipper Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Uthappa, Manish Pandey and Jacques Kallis.
Many of the young boys and girls got their cheeks painted in the RCB colours and wore RCB t-shirts and caps.
All roads and bylanes near the stadium were gridlocked with all types of vehicles lined up.
The police had a harrowing time regulating vehicular traffic that was compounded by the evening peak hour rush when office-goers were on their way back home.
With crowds swarming around the shabby and unkempt stadium, the police, private security guards, volunteers and spectators had a tough time getting in and out of the stadium.