IPL 2025 Final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings by 6 runs in a high-scoring encounter in Ahmedabad.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have done it! After years of anticipation and heartbreaks, the Red Army has finally laid their hands on the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by a nail-biting 6 runs in a dramatic final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The victory marks a historic moment for RCB, ending their 18-year wait for the ultimate IPL glory.
The atmosphere was electric as RCB, batting first, posted a challenging total of 190/9 in their 20 overs. While no single batsman played a massive innings, contributions from various players, including a crucial 43 from Virat Kohli, helped them reach a competitive score. Punjab Kings' bowlers, particularly Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson, put up a strong show, bagging three wickets each to keep RCB in check.
Punjab Kings’ chase was just as exciting, with plenty of moments where it looked like they might pull off a stunning win. But in the end, RCB’s tight bowling and sharp fielding in the final overs made all the difference.
RCB’s Innings
RCB had a mixed start in the PowerPlay, with Phil Salt attacking early but losing his wicket to Kyle Jamieson in the second over. Shreyas Iyer took a well-judged catch near the boundary, while Virat Kohli faced only a few balls in this phase. Mayank Agarwal, coming in at No. 3, struggled initially but managed some shots, as PBKS controlled the early overs with movement for their quicks. In the middle overs, Yuzvendra Chahal tightened PBKS’ grip, dismissing Agarwal with a slog sweep that found Arshdeep Singh in the deep.
The pitch helped slower deliveries, and while Kohli fought through a scratchy start, he managed a four off Azmatullah Omarzai’s bouncer. Rajat Patidar attacked Chahal for a six, but Jamieson outsmarted him with a full, fast ball that trapped him LBW. Kohli, alongside Liam Livingstone, looked to rebuild, but Chahal kept things tight with an excellent six-run over. Just as RCB seemed to regain momentum after a timeout, Omarzai struck back with a short ball, forcing Kohli into a mistimed shot that resulted in his dismissal. In the final overs, Jitesh Sharma took control, smashing two boundaries off Arshdeep and punishing Jamieson with a ramp over fine leg and a straight six.
Livingstone added runs but fell LBW to a full toss. Romario Shepherd had a lucky escape when Praveen Dubey dropped a tough catch, but Vyshak soon bowled Jitesh, quieting the RCB fans. Shepherd briefly reignited their hopes with a boundary and a huge six, but Arshdeep closed out the innings with a brilliant last over, trapping Shepherd LBW with a perfect full ball. His final over read: **1 W 1 W 1 W**, shutting down RCB’s chances of reaching 200.
PBKS Innings
RCB’s bowlers started strong, testing Prabhsimran Singh’s weakness against short balls, but couldn’t dismiss him early. He survived a close call against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and was lucky when Josh Hazlewood’s delivery resulted in a top-edge that Romario Shepherd failed to grab at fine leg. Meanwhile, Priyansh Arya had a patchy innings, with two fortunate top-edges racing to the third-man boundary for consecutive fours before Phil Salt pulled off a stunning boundary-line catch to send him back. Josh Inglis managed a six off Yash Dayal, but overall, RCB’s pace attack kept PBKS in check during the opening phase.
In the middle overs, Krunal Pandya turned the game in RCB’s favor with a brilliant spell. He started tight, allowing only three runs, while Prabhsimran struggled. Suyash Sharma briefly eased the pressure by offering a full ball in the slot that Prabhsimran dispatched for six. Inglis also cleared the ropes against spin, taking 15 runs off Suyash, but Krunal struck back right after the timeout, getting Prabhsimran caught at backward point. Things worsened for PBKS in the 10th over when Shepherd removed Shreyas Iyer, although Inglis tried to counter with sixes off Shepherd and Krunal. However, Krunal continued his outstanding spell, conceding just 14 runs across three overs before dismissing Inglis, cutting PBKS’ momentum short. Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera struggled against Suyash’s spin but managed a few boundaries off Shepherd to keep hopes alive entering the death overs.
Shashank injected life into PBKS' chase with two massive sixes off Hazlewood in the 16th over, balancing the game. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar swung the momentum back in RCB’s favor by removing Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis in the 17th over. Azmatullah Omarzai followed in the 18th over, leaving Shashank with too much ground to cover. Despite his late efforts, hitting a six and a four off Bhuvneshwar in the penultimate over, the equation was still steep 29 needed off the final over. Hazlewood bowled two dots to start, seemingly sealing RCB’s victory, while Virat Kohli broke down in tears. However, Shashank stunned everyone with four massive hits 6, 4, 6, 6 bringing the match to a dramatic finish.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Big Moment Steals the Show!
While celebrations were in full swing, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave fans another reason to cheer. Now playing for RCB, the experienced fast bowler made IPL history by becoming the second-highest wicket-taker of all time! Earlier this season, he also became the first Indian pacer to play 300 T20 matches a big milestone that proves just how long and well he’s been playing. His smart bowling, timely wickets, and tight spells have been a huge part of RCB’s success in reaching the final.
RCB’s victory shows how hard they’ve worked and how loyal their fans have been. Celebrations have broken out all over Bengaluru and among RCB fans around the world, as their long-awaited dream has finally come true! This IPL final had everything excitement, drama, and unforgettable moments. The joy was clear on Virat’s face, and for the first time, it felt like Virat was crying while every fan was smiling.