Ahmedabad: The 18th edition of the IPL truly belonged to No. 18. An 18-year-long wait finally came to an end. As expected, it was a night of redemption, relief, and ecstasy for one team, and heartbreak, a crushing one at that, for the other. Royal Challengers Bengaluru at last claimed the title that had eluded them for so long, one that made them the butt of countless jokes and memes. For Punjab Kings, it was a case of “so near, yet so far.” A heartbreak that will sting for a long time, having collapsed in the final after playing a brand of cricket throughout the season that was vibrant, entertaining, and purposeful.
It was a gift from Rajat Patidar and his men to the loyal fans of Bengaluru—those who have stood by the team through years of missed opportunities and close calls. Virat Kohli could not hold back his emotions, even before the final ball was bowled, as the long and painful wait came to a glorious end. The former captain finally tasted triumph—success that others had enjoyed multiple times over the last 17 years.
The spotlight was on Virat Kohli after RCB finally tasted success. With tears in his eyes, Kohli shared a warm hug with Anushka Sharma. His former teammates, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, made it even more special by joining him in his greatest IPL moment.“I’ve given this team my youth, my prime, and now my experience. Every season, I’ve come out and given it everything I have to try and win this. To finally have this moment arrive – it’s an unbelievable feeling,” he said.
RCB defended 190 with a clinical bowling display, led by Krunal Pandya and Josh Hazlewood. While their disciplined effort was commendable, it was Punjab’s batting that crumbled under pressure, with their marquee names failing to deliver on the big night. It was fitting that RCB’s bowlers—meticulously assembled during the mega auction—rose to the occasion, especially after the batting unit arguably fell short of their best. For years, RCB had faced criticism for prioritising star batters over quality bowlers. But 2025 told a different story—the final was a testament to the bowlers’ collective resolve and execution.
Krunal Pandya was named Player of the Match for his exceptional spell of 2 for 17 — a performance Virat Kohli hailed as one that “will be remembered for ages.”
Earlier in the day, Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted 190 for 9 in their 20 overs. Despite late cameos from Jitesh Sharma (24 off 10) and Romario Shepherd (17 off 9), the total felt 15–20 runs short on a pitch that favoured stroke play.
Jitesh Sharma had earlier reignited Bengaluru’s charge alongside Liam Livingstone, after the team had slipped to 132 for 4 in 15 overs. Their partnership helped RCB find the crucial momentum in the middle-overs, especially after Virat Kohli’s sluggish 43 off 35 balls had left RCB with work to do.
Kohli came under scrutiny on social media, with pundits questioning whether his cautious approach was appropriate for such a high-stakes occasion. He struck only three boundaries during his innings, just one of which came in the powerplay, where he appeared content rotating strike with singles and twos rather than going for big shots. Kohli managed just 13 runs off 10 balls during the powerplay, with only one boundary. Given the relatively batting-friendly nature of the pitch, his conservative approach was all the more puzzling. He was eventually dismissed for 43 off 35 balls in the 15th over by Azmatullah Omarzai.
The RCB bowlers, however, stepped up and ensured 190 appeared well-above par. Punjab crumbled under the pressure of the big final with Shashank Singh and Josh Inglis being the only ones who tried to dominate the RCB bowling attack.Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya was the star of the show, picking up the big wickets of Prabhsimran Singh and Inglis while Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood and Dayal did their job well, keeping the pressure of the scoreboard firmly on PBKS. Shashank Singh came up with a lone warrior’s effort, hitting 61 off 30 balls, 22 of them coming in the final over when PBKS needed 29. Following the historic win, Kohli confirmed that the celebrations would roll into Wednesday, with a special victory parade planned in Bengaluru.
