Ecstatic fans line up streets to welcome IPL champions RCB in Bengaluru

Newly-crowned IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru touched base at the Garden City on Wednesday afternoon amid a roaring welcome from waiting fans, who lined up the streets and thronged the Chinnaswamy stadium to catch a glimpse of the team's stars, including the talismanic Virat Kohli.

The Rajat Patidar-led squad was received by state's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar at the airport.

En route to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's office at the Vidhana Soudha here, fans assembled on both sides of the road cheered the triumphant squad with gusto.

RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in the IPL final at Ahmedabad on Tuesday to clinch their maiden title in 18 years.

It was another major achievement for the team's talisman Virat Kohli, who has only played for this franchise since the league's inception.

After the appointment with the CM, the RCB players will head to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for a fan engagement programme.

The much-anticipated open-top bus parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium will also start at 5pm after the CM gave special permission for it. The crowd has already It was earlier stated by the Bengaluru Traffic Police that it might not take place because of congestion on the route.

"We request all fans to follow guidelines set by police and other authorities, so that everyone can enjoy the roadshow peacefully," the franchise posted on its official 'X' page.

However, the scenes outside the Chinnaswamy stadium painted a different picture as fans jostled to sneak inside amid heavy police presence. Thousands of fans were also seen waiting outside the Vidhana Soudha to cheer the players.

The rainy weather in the city hasn't helped and the police has already endured a torrid time managing the crowd that flooded the streets to celebrate the triumph last night.

In visuals shared online, Kohli could be seen holding the trophy and watching in awe, thousands who lined up the team's bus route, cheerfully waving at the convoy.