Rcb & virat kohli end 18 year wait clinch maiden ipl title after beating punjab kings

Rcb & virat kohli end 18 year wait clinch maiden ipl title after beating punjab kings

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended their 18-year wait for an IPL title with a thrilling six-run win over Punjab Kings in the final on Tuesday.

Despite being restricted to 190/9-thanks to strong spells from Chahal (1/37) and Jamieson (3/48)-RCB defended the total well. Punjab faltered under pressure, finishing at 184/7 in 20 overs.

Krunal Pandya starred with the ball, taking 2/17 in four overs. Kohli top-scored for RCB with 43 (35), while Patidar added 26 (16). The win came after three previous runner-up finishes, while it was Punjab's second final and first since 2014.

Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bowl, restricting Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 190/9. Virat Kohli top-scored with 43 (35), while Patidar added 26 (16) and Jitesh Sharma provided a late push with 24 off 10.

Despite a strong start with 55/1 in the powerplay, RCB faltered as Arshdeep Singh (3/40) and Kyle Jamieson (3/48) delivered crucial breakthroughs. Kohli's dismissal by Omarzai shifted momentum to Punjab, and late wickets prevented Bengaluru from crossing 200.

The high voltage clash was witnessed by nearly a lakh people at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The head-to-head between these two sides was evenly poised, with 18 wins apiece in 36 encounters. This season, RCB had taken two wins against Punjab's one in their three meetings, setting the stage for a thrilling final showdown.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into the IPL 2025 final with a consistent and dominant campaign, finishing in the top two and sealing their spot by crushing Punjab Kings in Qualifier 1.

This marks their fourth final appearance after earlier attempts in 2009, 2011, and 2016 - all of which ended in heartbreak. Led by Virat Kohli's prolific form, who amassed 614 runs this season at an average of 55.82 with eight half-centuries, and supported by key performances from Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya, and Josh Hazlewood (who topped the bowling charts with 21 wickets), RCB won 10 of their 14 league matches and carried that momentum into the playoffs.

Punjab Kings secured their place in the IPL 2025 final after a remarkable and resilient campaign, ending an 11-year wait since their last final appearance in 2014, when they played as Kings XI Punjab.

Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who scored 603 runs at an impressive strike rate of 175.80 and played a match-winning knock in Qualifier 2, PBKS combined explosive batting with clutch bowling performances. Their strong bowling unit, led by left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh with 18 wickets, and the team's ability to win tight contests helped them top the league stage this season. After falling to RCB in Qualifier 1, PBKS bounced back by defeating Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to book their spot in the summit clash.