Eighteen Years. One Dream. One Night of Redemption
Closing Ceremony Before the Match:
Before a single ball was bowled, something special happened at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The IPL 2025 final began with a powerful tribute to the Indian Armed Forces for their role in Operation Sindoor. The ceremony started with a patriotic performance on “Teri Mitti,” and the stadium was silent for a moment, then filled with emotion. Shankar Mahadevan and his sons performed live and moved everyone with their patriotic songs.
There were also visuals of fighter jets in the sky, and real helicopters flew over the stadium carrying the flags of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Toss—Tails Wins:
The RCB fans were loud. Even before the toss, loud chants of “RCB! RCB!” could be heard throughout the ground. Rajat Patidar tossed the coin; PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer called tails, and he was accurate. PBKS chose to bowl first.
Iyer said his team was calm, focused, and ready to treat this like any other game but knew the emotions were high. Patidar also mentioned they would have liked to bowl first too, but were ready to put up a strong total on the board. Both teams were the same as before.
1st innings of RCB batting—Solid 190 on the Board:
RCB started with a bang. Phil Salt gave them early momentum. Kohli played a calm and steady knock of 43 off 35 balls. Patidar, Livingstone, and Jitesh Sharma all chipped in with fast cameos.
Jitesh in particular was explosive—he scored 24 runs from just 10 balls.
Despite losing a few wickets near the end, RCB still managed to reach 190/9 in their 20 overs.
Top scorers:
- Virat Kohli – 43 (35)
- Rajat Patidar – 26 (16)
- Livingstone – 25 (15)
- Jitesh Sharma – 24 (10)
PBKS Bowling:
- Jamieson – 4 overs, 48 runs, 3 wickets
- Arshdeep – 4 overs, 40 runs, 3 wickets
- Vyshak and Omarzai also picked one each
At the halfway mark, RCB had a strong total on a good batting pitch.
2nd innings of PBKS Chase—A Wobbly Start:
PBKS began the chase with some intent. Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh, and Josh Inglis gave some early hope. But wickets kept falling. Shreyas Iyer went early. So did Inglis and Nehal Wadhera at important moments. The game was getting away from Punjab.
Krunal Pandya bowled tight lines in the middle overs and took two big wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also chipped in with two crucial scalps.
By the end of the 19th over, Punjab needed 29 runs off the last 6 balls.
Final Over Drama—Shashank’s Brave Fight –
Hazlewood came on to bowl the final over. The stadium was ready to erupt.
First two balls – dot. The crowd sensed it. RCB had one hand on the trophy.
But then came the twist.
Ball 3 – Six.
Ball 4 – Four.
Ball 5 – Six.
Ball 6 – Another Six.
Suddenly, the Punjab camp was on its feet. Shashank Singh, with an unbeaten 61 off 30 balls, fought till the very end. He nearly pulled off the impossible.
Punjab finished at 184/7. Just six runs short. RCB won after 17 long years. Finally, the wait was over.
RCB Are Champions—After 18 Long Years:
RCB finally did it. After reaching finals in 2009, 2011, and 2016—and losing every time—they lifted their first IPL trophy in 2025. Tears flowed. Players hugged. Virat Kohli stood still, emotional, soaking in the moment. This wasn’t just a win. This was redemption.
Player of the Match:
Krunal Pandya was named Player of the Match for his tight spell of 4 overs, giving just 17 runs and taking 2 key wickets in the middle.
What Went Wrong for PBKS? –
Punjab had moments in the chase where the match felt within reach. But a few key things pulled them back.
One of the biggest setbacks was Nehal Wadhera’s slow innings. Coming in during a crucial phase, he scored just 15 runs off 18 balls, soaking up deliveries at a time when PBKS needed acceleration. His innings not only added pressure but also broke the flow that Inglis and Prabhsimran had built.
Another crucial blow came when Shreyas Iyer fell early, scoring only 1. As the captain and middle-order anchor, his quick dismissal put immediate pressure on the rest.
And despite Shashank Singh’s brilliance in the final over, the task had become too steep because PBKS had let the asking rate creep up. They needed 29 off the final over — a near-impossible ask, even on a batting-friendly pitch.
RCB’s tight middle overs, especially from Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, choked the run flow and forced risky shots.
RCB’s Moment of Glory – Finally
The final ball had barely landed in the stands, and the RCB squad ran onto the field.
Tears, hugs, pure disbelief.
Virat Kohli stood motionless, knelt, hand on mouth, eyes wet. The dream he had chased for 18 years had finally come true. And then came the perfect moment.
AB de Villiers, RCB’s eternal icon, and Chris Gayle, their most destructive force ever, joined the team on the field. They had been watching nervously from the boundary line for the last few overs.
When the trophy was handed over, it wasn’t just Rajat Patidar or Kohli who lifted it — AB and Gayle lifted it with them.
That moment was more than symbolic. It was a tribute to all the years, all the heartbreaks, all the loyalty.
PBKS: So Close, Yet So Far
Punjab Kings fought hard. They had moments in the match — from Inglis’ counterattack to Shashank’s heroic 61* — where they looked like they might finally pull it off.
But the little errors, especially during the middle overs, cost them.
You could see it on Shreyas Iyer’s face at the end. He stood quietly, applauding the crowd, even as the rest of the team sat stunned.
Shashank, for all his brilliance, walked off in teary eyes, not celebrating his personal best but wondering what more he could’ve done.
Another final. Another heartbreak.
18 Years, 1 Trophy – The End of a Long Wait
For a generation of RCB fans, this was not just a win — it was the end of waiting.
For 18 years, they had lived through memes, collapses, and heartbreaks. But they had never stopped chanting “Ee Sala Cup Namde.”
And finally, on a night filled with patriotic pride, crowd roars, last-over drama, and teary eyes — that chant became reality. And now, after a very long wait, it’s finally “Ee Sala Cup Namdu”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are IPL champions.
My heart is for Bangalore, my soul is for Bangalore…this is the team I will play for until the last day that I play the IPL.
– Virat Kohli