New Delhi: Tuesday night marked the end of an 18-year wait—Virat Kohli broke down, kneeling with his head on the ground, as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally won their first IPL trophy. The six-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium brought closure to a saga that has defined the franchise since the league’s inception. Kohli, emotional in the final over as Shashank Singh threatened a miracle with his unbeaten 61, could finally say the wait was over for RCB, even as Punjab’s own search for a maiden title continued. Kohli “will sleep like a baby”, as he now completes cricket with every major accolade the sport has to offer.
The season marked Rajat Patidar’s first as skipper. Amid uncertainty and doubts, he has emerged as the most successful captain in the history of the Bengaluru-based franchise. Under his leadership, the RCB won their first-ever trophy—a feat that eluded many marquee captains, including Kohli, who were at the helm of one of the crowd’s most favourite franchises.
After the win, Patidar said, “I think it is really special for me and special for Virat Kohli and all the fans who have supported for years. They deserve it. After the Qualifier 1, at that time we thought we could do this. For me it’s a great opportunity to do captaincy under him (Kohli) and it was a great learning for me. As I said, he deserves it more than anyone else. Virat Kohli and all the fans, everyone who has supported—the management, support staff—the way they’ve supported the players was beautiful. I just want to say one line for the fans ‘Ee sala cup namdu’.”
“Ee sala cup namde” is a Kannada phrase long used by RCB and its fans. It means, “this time, the cup is ours”. “Ee sala cup namdu”, on the other hand, means “This time, the cup is ours (for real)!”—with “namdu” being a more assertive, celebratory version after actually winning.
Kohli was relentless with the bat throughout the season, emerging as RCB’s top run-scorer with 657 runs at a strike rate of 144. The tournament will be remembered for his consistency, as he poured in his blood, sweat, and every ounce of energy, registering eight half-centuries at an average of 54.75. He finished as the third-highest run-getter in IPL 2025.
After the win, Kohli said “This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It has been 18 long years. I’ve given this my youth, my prime. I gave it everything I have. I never thought this day would come. I was overcome with emotion as soon as the last ball was bowled. I have stayed loyal to this team no matter what, have had moments when I thought otherwise, but I stuck to this team. My heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore and this is the team I’ll play for till the time I play the IPL.”
On his future, Kohli added, “Tonight I’ll sleep like a baby. I have an opportunity to play this game for not many years. There’s an end-date to us. I want to give everything I have before that. I’m thankful to God for giving this in my lap finally. You find different ways to help the team. This management and group is outstanding, to be honest.”
Responding to critics, he added, “A lot of people questioned us after the auction, but by Day 2 we were happy with what we had. There’s a lot that’s been spoken about me already, this win is for Bangalore.”
Kohli has won every major ICC accolade—including the ICC World Cup 2011, T20 World Cup 2024, Champions Trophy 2013, 2025, the Test mace on multiple occasions—and now his long-held dream of winning a trophy with RCB is fulfilled. Still, he rated Test cricket above franchise cricket.
“This moment is right up there with the best moments in my career. But it still ranks five levels below Test cricket. If you want to earn respect, take up Test cricket.”
The World Test Championship is the only major title Kohli is yet to lay his hands on.
RCB’s leading wicket-taker this season was Australian pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood. Despite missing three games, the towering quick still finished on top of the team’s charts, collecting 22 wickets at an average of just 17.54. His economy rate of 8.7 stood out, especially given that he was regularly entrusted with the toughest overs. Hazlewood’s efforts made him the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
Punjab, meanwhile, enjoyed a stellar campaign but couldn’t get over the line against RCB. Skipper Shreyas Iyer, who led the side with conviction, remained upbeat about the team’s prospects.
“Dejected to be honest but the way our boys came up to the occasion, it wasn’t meant to be, but a lot of credit goes to the support staff, the owners and everyone else who participated in this. Considering the last game, I personally felt that 200 was a par score. They bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, he carries a lot of experience. I believe that was the turning point. I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in this team. There are a lot of youngsters who are playing their first season, they’ve shown a lot of fearlessness. We wouldn’t be here without them, kudos to them. We have to be here and win the trophy next year. The way we turned up to each and with a belief of saying we can win this game. Hopefully we can be here next season and play some good cricket.”
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Turning points
Winning the toss, PBKS opted to put RCB in to bat first. RCB managed to post 191 in their 20 overs. For much of the innings, it was hard to tell whether they were going too slow on a flat pitch or building a solid platform on a slower surface. In the end, it proved to be the latter.
A target of 191, on paper, looked modest for a PBKS line-up that had chased down 204 with an over to spare at the same venue just 2 days earlier. But this pitch played differently and didn’t ease up in the second innings.
RCB’s top order found starts but couldn’t convert. Kohli scored a steady 43 off 35, anchoring one end, while his top-order partners—Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, and Liam Livingstone—added 66 off 43 between them before all three fell to Kyle Jamieson, just as they were looking dangerous.
Jamieson’s spell was a tale of two halves. After early breakthroughs, he was taken apart by RCB keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, whose explosive 24 off 10 balls shifted the momentum. RCB hammered 23 runs off Jamieson in the 17th over, lifting their total from 145/4 to 168/5 and changing the complexion of the innings.
At one stage, it looked like RCB would push past the 200-run mark. But their progress was halted by Arshdeep Singh’s final over who took three crucial wickets, dramatically slowing RCB’s finishing momentum.
In the second innings, PBKS began their chase steadily, reaching 28/0 in the first three overs. The breakthrough came with a crucial relay catch by Phil Salt at the boundary, giving RCB their first wicket. From there, RCB’s bowlers kept up the pressure, taking wickets at regular intervals.
The king piece was Shreyas Iyer’s wicket who had come into the final on the back of a brilliant 87* in Qualifier 2. This time, he managed only 1 run before falling to Romario Shepherd. The middle order, with Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera, struggled to build momentum, contributing just 41 off 40 between them.
A late surge came from Shashank Singh, who scored an unbeaten 61 off 30 balls, but couldn’t close out the game. Jos Inglis showed flashes of brilliance at number three with 39 off 23, but his dismissal to Krunal Pandya was another blow for PBKS.
Krunal was the star for RCB with the ball, conceding just 17 runs in his four overs and picking up two crucial wickets. The match was finely balanced when he came on. At the end of the powerplay, PBKS were 52 for 1, just behind RCB’s 55 for 1 at the same stage. Pandya bowled an over for just three runs, then followed up with a spell that relied on clever changes of pace—often dropping below 90kph, sometimes even around 80kph. That variation proved decisive and earned him the Man of the Match award in the all-important final.
The secret sauce
To understand how RCB pulled off this record-breaking run to their maiden IPL trophy, it’s essential to look at a combination of unique and historic factors that set this season apart.
After the final, Kohli was quick to point out that it was the bowlers and the collective effort of the team that truly made the difference for RCB this year.
Throughout the IPL, RCB showcased a rare blend of match-winners. Almost every game saw a different player step up and deliver when it mattered most.
This collective approach is reflected in the distribution of Man of the Match awards. Krunal Pandya led with three, captain Rajat Patidar had two, and the likes of Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, and Josh Hazlewood all claimed one each. The spread highlights just how much of a team effort this campaign was.
Traditionally, RCB’s identity has been built around flamboyant, aggressive batting—think AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle—but the missing piece was always their bowling. This season, that narrative changed.
Josh Hazlewood spearheaded the attack with 22 wickets, while Indian veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya chipped in with 17 wickets each. Youngsters Yash Dayal (13 wickets) and Suyash Sharma (8 wickets) also delivered match-winning spells and crucial breakthroughs, helping RCB maintain momentum through the league.
Another significant factor was RCB’s formidable away record. They won 9 out of 10 games played outside Bengaluru, including the playoffs. At the end of the league stage, RCB became the first team ever to maintain a 100 percent record in their designated away matches, winning all 7. Their only ‘away’ defeat was technically a home game, relocated to Lucknow due to IPL rescheduling against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Reactions from world over
Reactions flooded in from all corners for the franchise after RCB’s historic triumph. Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen took to X, declaring, “The wait is over for Virat! He’s achieved it all,” capturing the sentiment of fans and cricketing legends alike.
RCB’s official X handle highlighted the unprecedented buzz online, noting how the team’s win had “crashed Instagram” with the sheer volume of reactions and impressions pouring in from supporters across the globe.
WE’VE LITERALLY CRASHED INSTAGRAM.
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) June 3, 2025
Public figures joined in the celebrations as well. Shashi Tharoor posted, “First thing I did upon landing in Washington was to check the #IPLFinal score. Very happy for @imVkohli that he #18 laid his hands on the trophy after 18 years of service! Congratulations,” echoing the pride of millions of Indian fans.
Even the Election Commission of India joined the conversation with a witty twist.
🏏 The 18-year wait is finally over — Congratulations RCB New Champion! #IPL 🏆
Turning 18? It’s your time to shine!
Register as Elector & Be ready to vote like a champion 🏆
Credit: @RCBTweets#RCBvPBKS #IPLFinal pic.twitter.com/XjwH0cG5G5
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) June 3, 2025
Adding to the chorus, Carl Pei, CEO of Nothing and co-founder of OnePlus, congratulated Kohli on X, writing, “Congratulations @imVkohli for powering through 18 years for the first title. Good things do take time.”
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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