Daijiworld Media Network – Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad, June 4: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended an 18-year-long wait for IPL glory by lifting their maiden title, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a gripping final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday night.
Chasing 191, PBKS were cruising at 72/1 before RCB's bowlers mounted a spirited comeback to seal a memorable 25-run win.
PBKS opener Prabhsimran Singh (26) was the first to fall, caught at cover off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The very next over saw Romario Shepherd strike gold, dismissing skipper Shreyas Iyer for just one—edging through to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
Krunal Pandya delivered a critical blow in the 13th over, removing the aggressive Josh Inglis (39 off 23) who holed out to Liam Livingstone at long-on, reducing PBKS to 98/4.
A brief 38-run partnership between Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera steadied the innings before Wadhera’s sluggish 15 off 18 ended, caught by Krunal off Bhuvneshwar.
Marcus Stoinis briefly reignited hopes with a first-ball six, but fell the next delivery—caught by Yash Dayal at short third-man, leaving PBKS reeling at 142/6 in the 17th over.
Earlier, Phil Salt’s sharp catch on the boundary ended Priyansh Arya’s bright start on 21. Josh Hazlewood was the bowler, and Salt kept his composure near the rope to complete a stunning effort.
RCB had earlier posted 190/9, courtesy of a gritty innings led by Virat Kohli (43) and late flourishes from Jitesh Sharma (24 off 10). PBKS pacer Arshdeep Singh shone at the death, bagging three wickets in the final over while conceding just three runs.
Kyle Jamieson had given PBKS the perfect start, dismissing Salt for 16 in the second over. Kohli and Mayank Agarwal began rebuilding, but Agarwal fell for 24 to Yuzvendra Chahal.
Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar stitched together a 40-run stand before Jamieson trapped Patidar LBW for 26. Kohli looked set for a half-century but was dismissed on 43 by Azmatullah Omarzai off a sharp return catch.
Jitesh and Livingstone took 23 off Jamieson’s 17th over before Jamieson had his revenge, trapping Livingstone LBW. Vijaykumar Vyshak then dismissed Sharma after a brief DRS drama.
PBKS had elected to bowl first, with Iyer calling it “not just another game. It’s a big final”. Patidar said he too would have opted to bowl, adding, “Just another game for us, we will try give our best.”
The final was a rematch of Qualifier 1, where RCB beat PBKS convincingly. PBKS returned for revenge after edging past five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2, thanks to Iyer’s blistering unbeaten 87.
This was RCB’s fourth IPL final and their first title after heartbreaks in 2009, 2011, and 2016. PBKS, playing their first final since 2014, will have to wait longer for a maiden crown.
Despite intermittent drizzle in Ahmedabad, fans were treated to a pulsating contest that capped off a remarkable IPL season.“It still hasn’t sunk in. This team has given it all year after year, and today was our day,” said an emotional Rajat Patidar post-match.
"We fought hard but lost key moments. Proud of the journey, just one step short,” said PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer.
RCB finally joined the IPL winners’ list, fulfilling the dreams of a fanbase that stood by them through nearly two decades of near misses.
Final Score:
RCB: 190/9 (Kohli 43, Patidar 26, Arshdeep 3/24)
PBKS: 184/7 (Inglis 39, Shashank 28, Krunal 2/21)
Result: RCB won by 6 runs
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – IPL 2025 Champions
The long wait is over. RCB reign at last.