Tonight, a new team will be crowned champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) battle it out for the title. Both teams have never won the cup in the tournament’s 18-year history. Fans of RCB have been eagerly waiting to see their favourite team lift the trophy, and the popular chant “Ee sala cup namde” has returned in full swing. Surprisingly, Canadian rapper Drake has also joined the frenzy, rooting for RCB with the same catchphrase.
Drake places his bet on RCB
Bets have been placed on both teams ahead of tonight’s high-stakes clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Reportedly, billions of dollars have been wagered on various outcomes of the match, including the winner, top scorers, wicket-takers, and even each delivery. Among those betting is rapper Drake, who has staked $750,000 on RCB winning the final.
Drake took to Instagram to share a screenshot of the bet he placed, along with an estimate of his potential winnings if RCB emerges victorious. The betting slip revealed that with odds of 1.75, Drake stands to win $1.312 million if Virat Kohli’s side defeats PBKS. Sharing the screenshot, Drake captioned it with the iconic line: “Ee sala cup namde.”

 

 
 

 
 

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A historic night for the IPL
The IPL is set to welcome a new champion tonight in Ahmedabad. Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, two franchises that have long chased the elusive title, are vying for glory.
Punjab, who topped the league table, and Bengaluru, who finished second, have been the most consistent teams this season. So far, seven teams have won the IPL title, including the now-defunct Deccan Chargers, while Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans—teams that weren’t part of the original lineup in 2008—have also clinched the title.
RCB has reached the final three times before (2009, 2011, 2016) but has never managed to secure the trophy. For PBKS, this marks their first appearance in the final in 11 years. Their last outing in the IPL final was in 2014, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).