RCB crowned as IPL 2025 champions

After 18 long years, it was history in the making as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally lifted their first IPL trophy. An all-round performance on what was a tricky surface eventually saw them prevail over a phenomenal Punjab Kings side at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Despite all the wax and wanes, RCB stood tall and delivered what was the winning blow under immense pump.

Winning the toss, PBKS opted to bat first. RCB went for an unchanged side from the qualifier. Phil Salt (16) got off to a fiery start but couldn’t continue as Kyle Jamieson got the better of the English opener. An incoming Mayank Agarwal steadied the ship while Virat Kohli played the anchor in what was a solid 38-run partnership.

Mayank (24) was sent back to the pavilion by Yuzvendra Chahal. Undeterred by the fall of Mayank, Kohli continued to hold fort for RCB. An incoming Rajat Patidar saw VK loosen up the shackles a bit and the run-flow started advancing slightly quicker than it was in the last partnership. Patidar (26) was the next to fall as RCB needed something special to get a boost in the scoring rate.

It was Liam Livingstone whose arrival in the center offered RCB the much-needed acceleration. Livi and Virat added 35 runs for the fourth wicket before Azmatullah Omarzai got the better of Kohli for a warring 43. It was Jitesh Sharma who got a shy at glory, walking out to the mix. The RCB wicket-keeper was quick to react to the situation and started smashing on the fifth gear straight away.

Livingstone’s 25 proved to be a solid catalyst while Sharma’s 10-ball-24 allowed RCB to eye for a formidable number. However, the fall of Livi and Jitesh in quick succession left RCB rattled, reducing them to 171/6 from 17.4 overs. With two overs to go, it all boiled down to Romario Shepherd to get the fireworks in play.

The Caribbean muscleman did what he does best. He came in, unleashed a full-blown battery, smashed 17 off nine and fell to Arshdeep in the final over. At the end of their 20 overs, RCB racked up 190 for the loss of nine wickets and they needed some defending to do with PBKS’ formidable batting unit raring to go.

Priyansh Arya (24) and Prabhsimran Singh (26) got off to a solid start. The duo made an excellent use of the powerplay, rocking 43 runs from the first five overs before Josh Hazlewood stormed in with the first breakthrough. Phil Salt claimed a stunner to remove Arya. With the fall of Arya, RCB started pumping out the brakes and the chinks were soon turning into cracks.

Krunal Pandya delivered a clutch blow to PBKS’ aspirations, claiming the prized scalp of Singh. It was the Caribbean all-rounder, Romario Shepherd who got the better of Punjab’s captain, Shreyas Iyer for cheap, prying open the doors of history. Josh Inglis stood tall between RCB’s title-winning aspirations and PBKS’ resurgence. However, Krunal Pandya, RCB’s magicman for the finale, delivered a telling blow, compelling Inglis to go down the ground. Liam Livingstone claimed an absolute blinder at long-on to deliver what felt like a thunderbolt through the hearts of the Kings.

Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh stepped up to do damage control for Punjab but RCB kept the check in place. With a 38-run partnership in place, it was pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was tasked with the onus of trying to sneak in a wicket. Kumar delivered two, getting rid of Wadhera for 15 and the dangerous Marcus Stoinis for six. That one over from Bhuvneshwar Kumar is what gave RCB the much-needed licence to go for the kill.

Shashank Singh activated his beast mode in the final over but the damage was already done by then. With 29 needed off the final six, Hazlewood delivered two dots to seal the game in the first two balls of the final over. Following that Shashank did smash the Aussie quick for 20 runs but it was inconsequential as after the last ball, Kohli fell to his knees and cupped his face in his arms, shedding a few tears, marking the end of a long wait for the title. RCB lifted the IPL trophy for the first time after 18 years of the tournament’s inception. Krunal Pandya won the Player of the Match award for his phenomenal match-winning spell.