After 17 seasons of heartbreak and near misses, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have finally ascended the IPL summit. In a tense final against Punjab Kings (PBKS), they held their nerve to win by six runs, sealing their first-ever IPL title.
For a fan base that has chanted “Ee Sala Cup Namde” for nearly two decades, this was redemption.
RCB posted 190, a competitive score on an Ahmedabad pitch that was slower than usual. Virat Kohli, the face of the franchise for 18 years, anchored the innings with a 35-ball 43—an effort that felt subdued but turned out to be match-defining given the conditions.
PBKS, chasing 191, stumbled despite a late blitz from Shashank Singh, who remained unbeaten on a 30-ball 61. Needing 29 off the final over, he cracked Josh Hazlewood for 6, 4, 6, 6—but it was too little, too late. Hazlewood’s opening two dot balls had already tilted the game decisively.
Earlier, PBKS bowlers had done well to contain RCB. Kyle Jamieson was the standout with three wickets using clever pace variations. RCB’s final flourish came from Jitesh Sharma, who smashed 24 off 10 in a crucial cameo, lifting them from a tricky middle phase.
But it was with the ball that RCB truly turned the tide. Krunal Pandya (Player of the Match), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal—all experienced campaigners—bowled with guile and control. Krunal, known for his batting in past finals, this time struck with the ball, removing the dangerous Prabhsimran Singh and applying the squeeze in the middle overs.
PBKS lost key wickets at the wrong time—Shreyas Iyer top-edged a crucial moment, and Josh Inglis, who had been fluent with his pull shots, holed out trying to go big off Krunal.
Despite PBKS’ heartbreak, they earned admiration with their spirited campaign. But this night belonged to RCB—and to Kohli. No. 18, in his 18th IPL season, finally held aloft the trophy that had eluded him for so long.
