At the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday night, RCB beat Punjab Kings by six runs in the final to finally win a long-awaited IPL title for the first time. It also meant that the talismanic Virat Kohli finally became an IPL winner after losing three previous finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ahead of the auction for 2025 season, apart from retaining Kohli, captain Rajat Patidar and pacer Yash Dayal, RCB had brought in Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Phil Salt, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone, and Tim David among others, which meant they brought in much-needed international experience and covered all bases for the franchise to finally win the championship.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis season, RCB leaned more on experience. In previous years, we saw a focus on younger, developing talent\u2014players who hadn\u2019t quite mature into finished products. But this time, the Indian core of the squad was made up of players who had touched the international stage, even if they hadn\u2019t had long runs there, such as Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Yash Dayal, and Rajat Patidar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThey've all had brushes with international cricket\u2014some even played Tests. That kind of exposure brings resilience and better decision-making under pressure. When you combine those players with four overseas stars, it results in a team where 9 or 10 members have international-level experience. That drastically reduces the inexperience factor, and it shows in on-field decisions that match the demands of the game.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe leadership structure also helped\u2014having a new captain, supported by Virat Kohli\u2019s guidance on the field, added balance. And then there were smart acquisitions\u2014Josh Hazlewood and especially Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who in my view is one of the IPL\u2019s greatest bowlers. His inclusion was a game-changer. All of these elements came together this year, which is why this RCB side could go all the way\u2014something past squads couldn't quite manage,\" said Bangar, a former India batting coach, on JioHotstar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden also reflected on RCB\u2019s historic triumph, and the legacy which Kohli has with the team he\u2019s represented in the IPL since its inception in 2008. \"Firstly, it\u2019s remarkable how respectful Virat has been to this franchise. He\u2019s given his youth, his heart, his soul\u2014his entire focus\u2014to RCB.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHe\u2019s supported not just the team but also the champions before him\u2014legends like AB de Villiers, the Universe Boss Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, and many others who didn\u2019t get the opportunity he had tonight: to sit on the throne and be crowned king of the IPL.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe IPL 2025 will be forever etched in the annals of cricket\u2014not just for Virat Kohli, but for the RCB fans who stood by them through thick and thin. It shows how consistency and belief can finally lead to a title. Over the past five years, they\u2019ve always been close\u2014and now, they\u2019ve crossed the line.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kohli, who top-scored with 43 in the final, was emotional over becoming an IPL winner while standing alongside former RCB stalwarts in AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. \u201cWhat made it even more special was having AB right there at the boundary line during the last two overs. I told him, \u2018I'm going to go (cry), it's too much to take.\u2019 I had to hold back tears during the last three balls of that innings\u2014only he knows how that feels.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSharing this moment with AB and Chris means everything to me. I spent my prime years playing alongside them. We tried so hard, came so close, and had such an explosive team back then\u2014but we could never cross the line. That hurt stays with you, because we gave everything to this franchise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis win feels ten times more special because those two (Gayle and de Villiers) were standing next to me. It\u2019s as much theirs as it is mine. You see it when they come to Bengaluru \u2014the love people have for them is unreal. It\u2019s because fans recognize how much heart and soul they poured into this team. They absolutely deserve this as much as I do. This (trophy) is equally theirs,\" he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Asked about the contributions of entire RCB team, Kohli, who made 657 runs, commented, \u201cThe character in that dressing room this year was phenomenal. I spoke to AB (de Villiers) and even he said, \u2018I\u2019ve got this exciting feeling about this team'. You look at players like Jitesh, Rajat, Mayank\u2014guys who came in from nowhere\u2014and Devdutt, everyone stepped up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere was this sharpness, this quiet confidence in their eyes. They wanted it badly. And then the bowling\u2014unbelievable. I don\u2019t think RCB has ever come back into a tournament with the ball like we did this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHonestly, our bowlers won us this title. Everyone did their job perfectly. Krunal Pandya\u2019s spell will be remembered for a long, long time. To bowl like that under pressure, as a finger spinner, and take those two critical wickets\u2014that was exceptional. This was a total team effort.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Kohli, who made 657 runs in IPL 2025, also dedicated the win to RCB\u2019s loyal fans. \u201cI said it straight away\u2014this title is as much for the fans as it is for us. These people have backed us relentlessly for 18 years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had horrible seasons and great ones too, but they turned up for every game in Bengaluru. I\u2019ve never seen loyalty like that. That\u2019s what made me stay. That\u2019s why I never wavered from RCB. It\u2019s also why this win is so special. These fans truly are loyally royal.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He signed off by reflecting on the support from his wife, Anushka Sharma, who herself grew up in Bengaluru. \u201cShe\u2019s been coming to support RCB since 2014\u2014it\u2019s been 11 years for her too. Through all the tough games, the heartbreaks, she\u2019s been there. What your life partner does for you to be able to perform professionally\u2014the sacrifices, the emotional strength\u2014it\u2019s hard to put into words.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had horrible seasons and great ones too, but they turned up for every game in Bengaluru. I\u2019ve never seen loyalty like that. That\u2019s what made me stay. That\u2019s why I never wavered from RCB. It\u2019s also why this win is so special. These fans truly are loyally royal.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> LIVE Cricket Score<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n