A restaurant was ready to serve beer on the house had the Royal Challengers won, but that was not to be A restaurant group was ready with a surprise for customers who had ordered Kingfisher beer: it would waive their liquor bill had the Royal Challengers won. 
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Empty: Anil Kumble's house in Banashankari was locked, and not a soul was in sight last nightu00a0u00a0 pic/Rameshu00a0HS </td></tr></tbody></table>But as the Royal Challengers lost to Deccan Chargers by eight runs, the offer was buried quietly, and guzzlers had to shell out for their binge. "So near, yet so far," Kumble said on TV after his team lost, but he wasn't the only one disappointed. Cricket fans at restaurants across the city, watching the match on giant TV screens, heaved a collective sigh of disappointment when the game turned in favour of Hyderabad. Mandira Bedi had predicted a party of giant proportions had Mallya's team won. His penchant for extravagance is well known, and with glamour girl Katrina Kaif also rooting for Bangalore, a win would have meant a gala with freeflowing booze and lots of movie glitter. <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2009/may/beer.jpg" align="left" border="1" />"Couldn't they have won at least for the beer?" said a crestfallen Preetam Gupta (34), when he heard about the free booze offer that had quietly been withdrawn. Elsewhere, a software firm had cancelled a crucial meeting and booked a suite at the Royal Orchid to help employees watch the match together. Meanwhile, MiD DAY photographer H S Ramesh went to Bangalore captain Anil Kumble's house around 11 pm, only to find it locked. He tried to see if the security man was at least watching the match, but not a soul was in sight at the Banashankari flat. The winners' cheque, for Rs 4.8 crore, was presented by Lalit Modi. The Bangaloreans lived up to their gentlemanly reputation, congratulating the winners, and accepting their defeat with grace.

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A restaurant was ready to serve beer on the house had the Royal Challengers won, but that was not to be

Sorry, no free beer

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Sorry, no free beer

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