RCB Finally Break the Jinx: Kohli and Team Crowned IPL 2025 Champions After 18 Years of Waiting

The long, tortuous wait is finally over. After 18 seasons and many tears, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are the champions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the first time in history. In a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, RCB squeaked by Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs, in an emotional win for one of the league’s most-loved teams. 

Poetically, the heart of it all was Virat Kohli, who was wearing the iconic No. 18 jersey, as RCB grabbed their first title in their fourth-ever final in IPL history. Kohli’s composed 43 off 35 on a challenging pitch, alongside Krunal Pandya’s (Player of the Match) remarkable spell and the composure of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, was enough to thwart PBKS’ Shashank Singh’s valiant late charge.

RCB’s Innings: A Strong Start Derailed by Late Collapse

RCB opted to bat first after winning the toss, but things went poorly for them at the start. Opener Phil Salt was gone cheaply, while Mayank Agarwal was dismissed shortly after. Thankfully, Virat Kohli provided some stability with a steady 43 runs, and the skipper himself, Rajat Patidar, with a 26. It looked bad in the middle of the innings, but Jitesh Sharma provided some quick runs with his 24-ball innings, while Romario Shepherd added 17 runs down the order, fixing up their innings to a total of 190/9 from 20 overs.

Punjab Kings’ Chase: Shashank Singh’s Heroics Fall Short

Punjab Kings chased 191 for victory but lost wickets quickly and were at 79/3 when Josh Inglis then stretched the game with 39 runs before he was caught by Livingstone. The Shreyas Iyer wicket at 1 run locked the game in the RCB court. Shashank Singh was the sole warrior, hitting an unbeaten 61 off 30 balls. Punjab fell short and finished the 20 overs at 184/7.

Turning Points & Highlights

Krunal Pandya’s 2/17 in 4 overs was the turning point in the game, especially getting the dangerous Prabhsimran out. It was a very economical spell of bowling in the middle overs that halted Punjab’s chase.

Josh Inglis’ quickfire 39 looked to turn the game back in PBKS’ favour, but Krunal turned the game again.

Shashank Singh’s outstanding not out 61 off 30 balls was close to being a fairytale finish, but just too late.

 Arshdeep Singh’s wickets in his last over kept RCB under 200.

Josh Hazlewood’s calm last over (despite a couple of late sixes from Shashank) was enough to keep the win.

Legacy Sealed for Kohli and RCB

For a team that had its fair share of heartbreak in the 2009, 2011, and 2016 IPL finals, RCB finally delivered. It wasn’t the way you would expect to finish an IPL final, but rather a gritty and calculated finish. This finish embodied the evolution of the franchise and the evolution of Kohli.

And the chants of “Ee Sala Cup Namde” that began as a meme are now a historic narrative that we can all proudly share.

For RCB fans across the globe, June 3, 2025, will be etched in history as the night destiny turned red and gold.

Scorecard, RCB vs PBKS, Final, Ahmedabad, IPL 2025, Jun 03 2025

RCB Innings – 190/9 (20 overs)

• Virat Kohli 43 (35)
• Rajat Patidar 26 (16)
• Liam Livingstone 25 (15)
• Krunal Pandya 2/17
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2/38
• Yash Dayal 1/18

PBKS Innings – 184/7 (20 overs)

• Shashank Singh 61 (30)
• Josh Inglis 39 (23)
• Prabhsimran Singh 26 (22)
• Arshdeep Singh 3/40
• Kyle Jamieson 3/48
• Vijaykumar Vyshak 1/30

IPL 2025 Final: RCB vs PBKS – Match Summary

Read More: Heinrich Klaasen Retires from International Cricket, Glenn Maxwell Bids Farewell to ODIs