It's clash of the IT hubs in IPL final: Many Telugus in Bengaluru support RCB for Kohli

Bengaluru, May 28: The final of the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the annual T20 cricket carnival, will feature the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

IPL Special Site; Photos; IPL final preview: RCB vs SRH

The showdown will mean two of India's IT hubs will clash in the final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Sunday (May 29). [Warner Blitzkrieg takes SRH to final]

Has the final created a dilemma for the Telugu residents of Bengaluru? Oneindia spoke to some of them who originate from Hyderabad but have shifted to Bengaluru for work purpose and decided to settle here---be it the IT professionals or those engaged in conventional occupations.

City over sentiments? or is it just Virat Kohli wo matters?

Raghavendra S, an IT professional who is settled in Bengaluru for over a decade now, prefers the RCB to lift the trophy. "More than Bengaluru or Hyderabad, it is Virat Kohli who influences my pick," he told Oneindia. [ABD guides RCB to summit clash]

Sujatha Reddy, a house-maker who moved to Bengaluru after her marriage, thanks to her husband's transferrable job in the banking sector, however, wants Hyderabad to win. "I have my roots in that city," she said. Her teenage children---Vicky and Alex---however, more fans of Kohli. "They support RCB because of Kohli," she said with a smile.

S Mahesh Reddy, who is engaged in real-estate business in eastern part of Bengaluru and follows cricket, but he prefers RCB over SRH. "Though I belong to Andhra (undivided), but I would like to see RCB win. They haven't won it yet despite being a good team. The Telugus shouldn't be complaining as their team has won in the past," he told Oneindia.

Deccan Chargers had beaten RCB in the 2009 final of IPL

In 2009, the now-defunct Deccan Chargers (DC) had beaten the RCB in the final of the IPL which was played in South Africa. The DC represented Hyderabad before the SRH joined the party in 2013 after the former made their final appearance in 2012. [Teams that beat RCB in IPL final are extinct now]

Reddy's 21-year-old son Sudeep is also a fan of the RCB, thanks again to the Kohli factor.

Will it be the city over sentiments for the Telugu residents of Bengaluru on Sunday?
Or will the Kohli-AB de Villiers magic blow away all parochialism and make way for cricket as the unifier of all diversity?

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