IPL 2025 Final: RCB End 17-Year Wait with First Ever IPL Trophy

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are IPL champions at last. Their 17-year wait came to a thrilling end as the Rajat Patidar-led side clinched a six-run victory over Punjab Kings, successfully defending a total of 190/9. Krunal Pandya, a three-time IPL winner and a key figure in the 2017 triumph, once again rose to the occasion with a match-defining middle-over spell of 2 for 17, stalling PBKS’s momentum in the chase.

In a game decided by fine margins, Punjab Kings ultimately came up short—scoring just 10 fewer than RCB during the critical middle phase—which left Shashank Singh and the lower order with too much to do in the final overs against one of the tournament’s most consistent bowling line-ups.

The middle-overs difference:

Early Wobbles for RCB with the Bat

RCB endured a shaky beginning to their innings. Phil Salt looked to attack early, targeting the fine leg boundary off Arshdeep Singh, but his stay was cut short in the second over when he mistimed a big shot off Kyle Jamieson. Shreyas Iyer ran back from mid-on and took a well-judged catch near the boundary.

Virat Kohli saw limited action in the PowerPlay, facing just 10 deliveries, while Mayank Agarwal came in at No. 3 and had a scratchy start before finding a few scoring strokes. Punjab Kings edged the early exchanges, with the ball moving just enough to trouble the batters.

Kohli’s Struggles Continue as RCB’s Inning Stalls Midway

RCB’s batting rhythm remained elusive as Yuzvendra Chahal applied immediate pressure. Mayank Agarwal’s attempted slog sweep found Arshdeep Singh at deep backward square leg, continuing RCB’s early woes. The pitch once again favored bowlers who varied their pace, a fact capitalized on by the PBKS attack.

Virat Kohli, still searching for fluency, managed to dispatch a predictable slower bouncer from Azmatullah Omarzai over the keeper for four. Rajat Patidar, more assured against spin, lofted Chahal for a six over mid-wicket. Kyle Jamieson, who had succeeded with pace variation against Mumbai in the second qualifier, reversed his approach against Patidar. After four slower deliveries, he slipped in a full, straight ball at 132 kmph that trapped the RCB skipper LBW.

Chahal followed up with a masterful six-run over to Kohli and newcomer Liam Livingstone, tightening the screws further. RCB appeared stuck at the halfway point but showed signs of momentum right after the timeout, with Kohli and Livingstone taking 14 off Chahal. However, Omarzai silenced the brief resurgence by removing Kohli with a short ball that induced a leading edge, which he himself chased down with a sharp catch.

Jitesh and Shepherd Light It Up Before Arshdeep’s Dramatic Final Over

Jitesh Sharma took charge of the innings with a blistering cameo, striking two boundaries off Arshdeep Singh before launching into Kyle Jamieson, who had previously bowled three tight overs. Jitesh ramped a short ball over fine leg and followed it up with a straight six when Jamieson adjusted his length. Liam Livingstone joined the onslaught with a couple of blows in the same over, but his cameo ended soon after as he was trapped LBW off a full toss.

Romario Shepherd stepped in and almost departed early, only to be dropped by Praveen Dubey on a difficult chance running in from mid-wicket. Momentum briefly swung again when Vyshak cleaned up Jitesh, quieting the RCB fans. But Shepherd reignited their hopes with a flicked four over fine leg and a towering six over mid-wicket off Omarzai.

Just when RCB looked set to breach 200, Arshdeep Singh returned with a masterclass in the final over. Despite leaking 37 runs in his first three, he delivered a sensational 20th: 1 W 1 W 1 W, dismissing Shepherd with a pinpoint full delivery and ending the innings at 190 for 9.

RCB’s Seamers Apply Early Pressure with Disciplined Opening Burst

RCB’s pace trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal delivered a disciplined opening spell to keep Punjab Kings on a tight leash. Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood immediately targeted Prabhsimran Singh’s known vulnerability against the short ball. While Bhuvneshwar induced a streaky cut that narrowly evaded deep backward point, Hazlewood saw a top-edged pull dropped by Romario Shepherd at fine leg.

Priyansh Arya also had a scratchy outing, surviving thanks to a couple of fortunate top-edges that flew for boundaries over third man. However, his luck ran out when Phil Salt pulled off a stunning catch on the boundary to dismiss the left-hander. Though Josh Inglis managed to pull Yash Dayal for a six, the RCB seamers collectively maintained control, restricting PBKS’s scoring during the powerplay and early middle overs.

Krunal Pandya Turns the Screws with a Game-Changing Spell

Krunal Pandya tilted the match in RCB’s favour with a masterful bowling display that applied the brakes on Punjab’s chase. He opened his spell with a miserly three-run over, tightening the noose around a struggling Prabhsimran Singh. Although Suyash Sharma offered a brief reprieve with a full delivery that Prabhsimran dispatched for six, and Josh Inglis followed with another maximum off a googly, Krunal remained relentless after the timeout. He dismissed Prabhsimran with a sharp delivery that was caught at backward point, adding to PBKS’s troubles.

The turning point came in the 10th over when Romario Shepherd had Shreyas Iyer edging behind. Inglis tried to counterattack with sixes off both Shepherd and Krunal, but the latter’s spell was proving decisive. Bowling four overs on the trot, Krunal conceded just 14 runs and delivered a crucial breakthrough by removing Inglis, sapping the momentum from Punjab’s innings.

Shashank Singh and Nehal Wadhera struggled to find rhythm against Suyash Sharma’s spin, though Wadhera managed to land a couple of late blows off Shepherd—a four and a six—to keep slim hopes alive as the match edged into the final overs.

Bhuvneshwar Delivers Under Pressure as RCB Hold Nerve in Final Overs

Just when Punjab Kings looked like staging a comeback, Bhuvneshwar Kumar stepped up with a clutch 17th over that swung the momentum decisively in RCB’s favour. Shashank Singh had reignited the contest with two massive sixes off Josh Hazlewood in a 17-run 16th over, putting the chase back on level terms. But Bhuvneshwar responded by striking twice—removing Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis in the space of six deliveries—to push RCB closer to the title.

Azmatullah Omarzai was dismissed in the following over by Yash Dayal, leaving Shashank with a mountain to climb. He tried valiantly, launching a six and a four off Bhuvneshwar in the 19th over to bring the equation down to 29 needed from the final six balls. Hazlewood held his nerve at the death, delivering two dot balls to effectively seal the match, despite Shashank finishing with a breathtaking flourish of 6, 4, 6, 6 in the last four balls. As the dust settled, Virat Kohli was seen in tears—RCB were finally champions.

Brief Scores

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 190/9 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 43, Rajat Patidar 26; Arshdeep Singh 3/40)
Punjab Kings: 184/7 in 20 overs (Shashank Singh 61*, Josh Inglis 39; Krunal Pandya 2/17)
Result: Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 6 runs.

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