RCB to extend IPL title celebrations in Bengaluru

The celebrations following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's long-awaited IPL triumph are set to reach a crescendo on Wednesday afternoon, as the franchise prepares to honour its beloved champions at home.

Even as the franchise announced grand plans of an open-bus parade along a 2km stretch from Vidhana Soudha to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the evening, the city's traffic police had already begun working overtime to manage crowds and traffic movements around the city's CBD.

As early as 10am, hundreds of fans had already begun descending at the Kempegowda International Airport to welcome the team. But the long commute from there towards central Bengaluru has forced a change of plan, with the team set to now touch down at the old HAL Airport then drive to the chief minister's office for a short felicitation before arriving at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium shortly after 5pm.

The city's police are in close coordination with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), who are likely to throw open a number of stands for the victory lap that is now expected to take place inside the stadium's premises. The KSCA is preparing for at least 10,000 fans to flock to the ground, but that number is likely to be a lot higher.

On Wednesday afternoon, the city police had briefed various traffic units on elaborate plans to manage the weekday traffic, with the franchise and the government agencies making a plea to fans to use public transport and the metro service to prevent major traffic disruptions.

The public had also been advised to avoid the CBD from 3pm to 8pm, around the time the team is expected to zip through the city for their engagements and post-IPL celebration. However, by noon, fans had queued up along the periphery of the stadium to get a glimpse of the team.

Virat Kohli will expectedly be the centre of attention. Soon after winning the IPL, Kohli professed his love for Bengaluru and the franchise that "stood behind me". It's likely Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, who celebrated with the team into the early hours on Wednesday in Ahmedabad, will be part of the celebration.

"I think I'm going to feel the real side of it when we get to Bengaluru," he told RCB Bold Diaries. "And celebrate it with the city and fans who've stood by us through thick and thin. I'm just relieved. This is far more special than winning it with anyone else, because my heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore. As I said, this is the team I'm going to play for till the last day I play the IPL. So, this one is absolutely right up there."