RCB beats PBKS, crowned IPL 2025 champions

KABUL (Pajhwok): Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended an 18-year wait for their maiden IPL title, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs in a thrilling 2025 final in Ahmedabad.

Virat Kohli, after years of unwavering loyalty to RCB, finally lifted the coveted IPL trophy—his first—delighting fans and marking a historic moment for both himself and the franchise, Business Standard reported.

Chasing a target of 191, PBKS made a promising start with openers Priyansh Arya (24) and Prabhsimran Singh (26). However, RCB’s bowlers quickly shifted the momentum.

Josh Hazlewood provided the breakthrough, while Romario Shepherd struck a major blow by dismissing PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer for just 1 run.

Josh Inglis offered resistance with a brisk 39 off 23 balls, but his dismissal by Krunal Pandya halted the momentum.

Nehal Wadhera’s wicket in the 17th over, caught by Pandya off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, further dented PBKS’s chase. Despite a few late efforts, the Punjab side fell short at the finish.

Earlier, PBKS elected to bowl first after winning the toss. RCB’s innings started cautiously, with Phil Salt falling early for 16 to Kyle Jamieson.

Mayank Agarwal (24) and Rajat Patidar (26) added brief partnerships but couldn’t carry on.

Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a steady 43 but found it difficult to accelerate in the middle overs.

Liam Livingstone (25) and Jitesh Sharma (24) provided brief sparks, but Arshdeep Singh’s exceptional final over—where he claimed three wickets—restricted RCB to 190/9 in their 20 overs.

In the end, it was RCB’s disciplined bowling and cool heads under pressure that sealed their long-awaited triumph.

For Kohli, it was a dream finally realized, turning years of near-misses into championship glory.

Sa