🏆 A Tale Not Just of Victory, But of Evolution
18 years (6255 days).
3 lost finals.
1 man who never left.
1 team that became a spiritual metaphor.
1 fanbase that turned heartbreak into hope.
On June 3rd, 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) did what seemed impossible for nearly two decades.
They won.
But the real story isn’t that they won. It’s how they became worthy of winning.
This is a story of transformation — a story deeply interwoven with the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the three gunas:
- Tamas—darkness, ignorance, resistance.
- Rajas – passion, ambition, restlessness.
- Sattva – clarity, harmony, light.
And ultimately, like the Gita teaches, the goal is to transcend them all.
But this was more than a championship. This was a journey through karma, dharma, and transformation. A modern-day parable scripted not just with cricketing milestones but with ancient Indian philosophy.
This is the story of RCB, viewed through the timeless prism of the three gunas of Samkhya Philosophy from the Bhagavad Gita, combined with insights from Mahabharata, Ramayana, and even contemporary corporate life.
“What begins in Tamas (darkness), burns through Rajas (desire), and culminates in Sattva (balance), ultimately finds Moksha — the liberation from outcome.”
⚫ TAMAS—The Age of Potential Without Purpose
RCB’s early years were filled with chaos. Despite a star-studded lineup, they consistently underperformed. Like Arjuna on the battlefield, full of might but momentarily lost in doubt, RCB had tools but no alignment.
📖 Bhagavad Gita—Chapter 14, Verse 8
तमस्त्वज्ञानजं विद्धि मोहनं सर्वदेहिनाम् |
प्रमादालस्यनिद्राभिस्तन्निबध्नाति भारत || 8||tamas tv ajñāna-jaṁ viddhi mohanaṁ sarva-dehinām
pramādālasya-nidrābhis tan nibadhnāti bhārataTamo guṇa, which is born of ignorance, is the cause of illusion for the embodied souls. It deludes all living beings through negligence, laziness, and sleep.
Their failures were not just tactical. They were existential. They chased big names and big strokes but lacked inner stillness. RCB was lost in organizational Tamas — a fog of hype with no grounded clarity.
Mahabharata Analogy: Like the Kauravas, who relied on might and numbers, RCB had power but no purpose.
Corporate Analogy: Early startups with funding and PR but no product-market fit. Energy misdirected. Vision blurred.
🔥 RAJAS – The Fire of Desire & the Path of Kohli
Enter Virat Kohli — RCB’s fiercest embodiment of Rajas. Passionate. Restless. Relentless. For 18 years, he bore the burden of a team that couldn’t cross the final line, yet he never left.
He played like Arjuna under Krishna’s command: with focus, fury, and loyalty. But at times, he also burned with too much wanting. And Rajas, though powerful, is binding.
RCB was always the glamorous team. The Bollywood owners. The firepower. The expectations.
And yet, nothing clicked.
They reached the finals in 2009, 2011, and 2016. Each time, hope soared. Each time, defeat tasted bitter.
They had the muscle, but not the mind.
They had strategy, but not stillness.
They had stars, but no synergy.
📖 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 7
रजो रागात्मकं विद्धि तृष्णासङ्गसमुद्भवम् |
तन्निबध्नाति कौन्तेय कर्मसङ्गेन देहिनम् || 7||rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi tṛiṣhṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya karma-saṅgena dehinamRajo guṇa is of the nature of passion. It arises from worldly desires and affections and binds the soul through attachment to fruitive actions.
Kohli’s tears in 2016, his hundred in a losing final — these were not just moments of performance, but spiritual struggle. He was the Karna of RCB — loyal, magnificent, yet denied.
Corporate Analogy: The founder-turned-CEO who stays through layoffs, pivots, losses — too passionate to quit, too loyal to abandon.
Ramayana Link: Kohli is Lakshmana — always present, always intense, burning with purpose, even if not crowned.
🌕 SATTVA—The Calm Beyond Action
In 2025, something shifted. Kohli wasn’t captain. RCB wasn’t flamboyant. There was calm. Clarity. Cohesion. The team operated like a well-oiled yajna — not to win, but to offer their best.
RCB had transitioned into Sattva — the mode of equilibrium.
📖 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 6
तत्र सत्त्वं निर्मलत्वात्प्रकाशकमनामयम् |
सुखसङ्गेन बध्नाति ज्ञानसङ्गेन चानघ || 6||tatra sattvaṁ nirmalatvāt prakāśhakam anāmayam
sukha-saṅgena badhnāti jñāna-saṅgena chānaghaSattva guṇa, the mode of goodness, being purer than the others, is illuminating and full of well-being. O sinless one, it binds the soul by creating attachment for a sense of happiness and knowledge
Kohli scored 43 in the final — not a blazing century, but a stabilizing act. That’s Sattva. The impact was subtle, yet enduring.
🔥 In a poetic moment, Kohli dedicated the trophy to ABD and Gayle — two past giants who gave their hearts but never held the cup. That gesture itself was Sattva in motion — ego dissolved in gratitude.
🧘♂️ Personal Insight: True mastery is when action becomes art and ambition becomes devotion.
Ramayana Analogy: RCB in 2025 was Rama returning from vanvas — not to conquer, but to restore balance.
Leadership Insight: The best leaders don’t force outcomes. They align their team and let results unfold.
💔 The Devotees—RCB Fans as Hanuman Bhakts
What do you call a fan who believes for 18 years without results? A bhakt.
RCB fans weren’t fans. They were Hanumans—unshaken in devotion. Win or lose, they returned to chant “Ee Sala Cup Namde.”
📖 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14, Verse 17
सत्त्वात्सञ्जायते ज्ञानं रजसो लोभ एव च |
प्रमादमोहौ तमसो भवतोऽज्ञानमेव च || 17||sattvāt sañjāyate jñānaṁ rajaso lobha eva cha
pramāda-mohau tamaso bhavato ’jñānam eva chaFrom the mode of goodness arises knowledge, from the mode of passion arises greed, and from the mode of ignorance arise negligence and delusion. From Sattva comes wisdom, from Rajas greed, and from Tamas ignorance.
Their tears on June 3rd weren’t loud. They were silent, meditative. Sattvik.
Corporate Analogy: Long-term investors who don’t exit even after a decade. They stay not for valuation, but belief.
🌟 Detachment from Outcome
📖 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 47
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 47 ||karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇiYou have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.
RCB didn’t win when they chased the cup. They won when they were ready to let go. When Kohli smiled rather than roared. When the fans believed quietly. When the team played with harmony.
That’s when karma bore fruit. That’s when moksha arrived.
📚 Final Reflections: A Framework of Evolution
| Phase | Guna | RCB Parallel | Symbolism |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-2015 | Tamas | Confusion, instability | Lost potential, unclear leadership |
| 2016-2021 | Rajas | Kohli era, close losses | Passion-driven, outcome-attached pursuit |
| 2022-2025 | Sattva | Cohesion, calm, win | Balanced strategy, surrendered execution |
| June 3, 25 | Moksha | Cup Win | Liberation from desire, duty fulfilled |
RCB’s IPL journey is not just a cricket story. It’s a spiritual case study. A masterclass in transformation. It serves as a valuable guide for leaders, believers, founders, and fans alike.
- Let loyalty become legacy.
- Let action replace anxiety.
- Let detachment become your power.
- Let your passion evolve into wisdom.
- Let your defeat shape your discipline.
- And let your work be your worship.
Because when you walk the path with clarity, purpose, and surrender — the cup, the crown, or the karma… will find you.
If you’re a leader, a startup founder, a product manager, or even a student — remember:
Your journey is your Gita.
Your persistence is your Kohli.
And your reward? It will come — not when you demand it, but when you deserve it.
















