Before the trophies, there were the memes.
Before the celebrations, there was the blame.
And before some fans began calling Anushka Sharma RCB's "lucky charm," she spent years being unfairly labelled the exact opposite.
As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) enters a new winning phase in the IPL, the conversation around the franchise has changed dramatically. So has the conversation around one of its most visible supporters: actor Anushka Sharma.
For years, the Bollywood star found herself at the centre of cricket discourse for reasons that had little to do with cricket itself.
The RCB Story: Hope, Heartbreak and Endless Loyalty
Few teams in the Indian Premier League have inspired the kind of devotion RCB has.
Since the league began in 2008, the Bengaluru franchise built its identity around star power, attacking cricket and a fan base that refused to give up, even when the silverware never arrived.
The team reached IPL finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but fell short each time. Every season began with optimism. Many ended with disappointment.
Over time, RCB's inability to cross the finish line became one of the league's biggest running jokes. The slogan "Ee Sala Cup Namde" evolved from a hopeful chant into a recurring meme across social media.
Yet through every setback, one figure remained central to the franchise's story: Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma and the Public Gaze
Kohli and Sharma have spent more than a decade under intense public scrutiny.
The couple first met during a commercial shoot in 2013. At the time, both were rising stars in their respective fields. Sharma had already established herself in Bollywood, while Kohli was cementing his place in Indian cricket.
As their relationship became public, Sharma also became a familiar face in the stands during Kohli's matches.
That visibility came with consequences.
Whenever Kohli struggled for runs or RCB suffered a major defeat, sections of social media often directed their frustration towards Sharma. The criticism was frequently irrational, with some fans labelling her "unlucky" or blaming her presence for the team's performances.
The narrative had no basis in sport. Yet it persisted for years, becoming one of the most visible examples of celebrity trolling in Indian cricket.
Kohli repeatedly defended Sharma against such criticism, calling out those who unfairly targeted her. Their relationship endured public scrutiny, media speculation and online abuse, but the couple continued to support each other through it all.
When Success Changes the Story
Sport has a way of rewriting narratives.
RCB's recent success has done exactly that.
After years of being associated with heartbreak, the franchise has found a winning rhythm. Crucial victories have replaced near misses. Pressure situations that once seemed to haunt the team are now producing different outcomes.
As the wins piled up, social media reactions shifted too.
The same internet culture that once amplified criticism began celebrating the team's transformation. Fans revisited years of disappointment, memes and missed opportunities.
And somewhere along the way, the narrative around Anushka Sharma changed as well.
Posts describing her as RCB's "lucky charm" started appearing online. The irony was hard to miss. A woman who had once been blamed for defeats was suddenly being linked to victories.
More Than Cricket
Of course, neither label tells the real story.
Anushka Sharma was never responsible for RCB's losses, just as she is not responsible for the team's wins.
What her journey reveals is something larger about modern sports culture. Cricket fandom in India often extends beyond the boundary rope. Players' families, partners and personal lives increasingly become part of public conversation, whether they want to be or not.
For years, Sharma experienced the harsher side of that reality.
Today, as RCB celebrates a new chapter and Kohli continues to add to his legacy, the mood surrounding the couple feels different.
The memes have changed.
The jokes have changed.
And perhaps most importantly, the conversation has changed.
From being cast as a match-day "jinx" to being affectionately called a lucky charm, Anushka Sharma's story mirrors RCB's own transformation.
For a franchise that spent years being mocked for what it could not achieve, and for a supporter who spent years being blamed for things beyond her control, the shift feels especially significant.
Sometimes, all it takes is a few wins to change the story.
