Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings to win maiden IPL title

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title on Tuesday by beating Punjab Kings by six runs in the summit clash held in Ahmedabad. Asked to bat first by PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer, RCB managed 190-9 before returning to restrict the opposition to 184-7 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Virat Kohli, the most iconic player of the Bengaluru team, top-scored for his side with 43, but it was their disciplined bowling, headed by Krunal Pandya, that ensured the southern city finally witnessed a victory parade.

When Josh Hazlewood successfully defended 29 runs in the final over of the game, Kohli fell to the ground in an effort to hide his tear-filled eyes and bawl. His junior teammates soon enveloped him as the cameras zoomed in.

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At the break, RCB's total did not look enough, but a persistent effort from their bowlers made the scoreboard pressure ultimately work in their favour.

With 29 needed off the final over, RCB's win was sealed when Hazlewood bowled the second dot ball on the trot. Shashank Singh struck a valiant 61 not out off 30 balls (3x4s, 6x6s), but his effort came too late as Punjab Kings ended at 184 for seven.

Hazlewood provided the first breakthrough, Krunal Pandya bowled a dream spell of 4-0-17-2 in the summit clash, and Romario Shepherd’s dismissal of PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer finally indicated which way the game was headed.

All it took was an innocuous delivery outside off to see the back of the most dangerous batter in the final. Iyer, coming off a terrific knock in Qualifier 2, edged it behind off Shepherd and walked back with his head down.

Josh Inglis (39 off 23 balls, 1x4, 4x6) made the most of every opportunity when hitting toward midwicket, but Pandya had him caught at long-on in the 13th over.

Thereafter, every dot ball drew appreciation from fans, and they were at their loudest when RCB legend AB de Villiers appeared on the big screen, and again when PBKS were mathematically knocked out.

Desperate to strike early, RCB needed something special, and Phil Salt produced a brilliant effort in the deep when Priyansh Arya (24) lifted the ball off Hazlewood in the fifth over.

Salt made a dash from deep square leg to his right, took the catch reverse-cupped, and threw the ball up in the air as he hurtled past the ropes. He recovered quickly to get inside the field and completed a stunning catch.

Punjab's impact sub Prabhsimran Singh (26 off 22 balls) succumbed to pressure, even as his side made 52/1 in the powerplay.

READ HERE | Ranked: Bowlers with most wickets in IPL 2025

Bhuvneshwar Kumar shut the doors on Punjab when he dismissed Nehal Wadhera (15) and Marcus Stoinis (6) within three deliveries in the 17th over. From there on, RCB's triumph was only a formality.

Earlier, RCB huffed and puffed to 190 for nine after their batters failed to press on what remained a conducive wicket.

While RCB were slightly conservative in the big final, luck also did not favour the fourth-time finalists chasing their maiden trophy. Each of their batters perished after getting a start.

There were no fireworks on the night of the big final, as Kohli, looking to anchor the innings like he had done in the past, perished after a laborious effort.

Kohli struck a mere three fours—two after the ninth over—and got his 43 runs off 35 balls at a strike rate of 122.85.

RCB’s momentum slowed after the powerplay, where they scored 55/1. Between overs 6 to 11, they managed only 42 runs, with batters farming the strike rather than going for big overs.

Salt's early exit had a major impact on how RCB’s innings progressed, and none of the following batters—including Mayank Agarwal (24), Rajat Patidar (26), and Liam Livingstone (25)—could convert their starts.

The lanky Kyle Jamieson made a huge impact, not only finding the right lengths and variations to keep a lid on the batters but also accounting for three key wickets to push RCB back further.

In the second over, after Salt smacked him for a four over mid-on, Jamieson had the RCB opener caught off Iyer. In the 11th, after Patidar hit him for a six over mid-off, Jamieson bowled a superb slow yorker that pinned the batter in front of the wickets.

Jamieson's figures were dented slightly in the 17th over when Jitesh Sharma (24 off 10 balls, 2x4, 2x6) clobbered a couple of sixes and Livingstone added one more to collect 23 runs from the over. But once again, Jamieson ended the over by trapping Livingstone leg-before with a full toss.

India star Arshdeep Singh accounted for Krunal Pandya (4), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1), and Romario Shepherd (17) in the final over.

-With agency inputs