Mysuru: The Ambaari — city rounds double-decker bus — owned by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), which had been decorated in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) colours for the team’s IPL victory parade in Bengaluru on June 4, is now back in Mysuru — still wearing the RCB colours after the parade was cancelled.

In a strange turn of events, the KSTDC had been waiting for RCB representatives to return to Mysuru and remove the decorative stickers, including a giant trophy pasted on the front with the word ‘Champions’ in bold, celebrating RCB’s IPL 2025 title win.

The bus had left Mysuru early on June 4 and reached M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where it was adorned with celebratory stickers.

The open-top bus was rented by the RCB for a day, with the prescribed rental fee paid to KSTDC. As per the original plan, the bus was to be the centrepiece of a grand victory parade, with players aboard the upper deck displaying the trophy as the bus moved through Bengaluru’s streets.

However, the Bengaluru Police did not permit the procession due to crowd control concerns, leading to the parade’s cancellation. The bus returned to Mysuru the same night.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, a KSTDC official said, “for two days, we kept the stickers as they were, as RCB officials had informed us that they would personally come and remove them. They assured us stickers were removable.”

This bus even went on its regular city rounds yesterday with the RCB decorations still intact. But following the registration of an FIR against RCB over the tragic stampede at Chinnaswamy Stadium, KSTDC officials realised that the wait was futile.

KSTDC has now decided to remove the stickers themselves in time for this evening’s city tour.