For Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the number 18 is no longer a curse — it’s a coronation. After 18 seasons of heartbreak, of coming close but never close enough, RCB have finally lifted their maiden IPL trophy. And for Virat Kohli, who has worn the number 18 on his back since the tournament’s inception, it is a moment of vindication, relief, and lasting glory.
Their victory, a narrow six-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS), marked the end of a narrative that has long dominated IPL storylines: When will RCB win? This season, against a similarly title-starved opponent, the answer finally arrived.
The win was not just about Kohli’s 43 off 35 — a knock that was more foundational than flashy. It was also about the clarity of purpose and tactical nous that RCB’s bowlers displayed on an unusually tricky Ahmedabad pitch. Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal — all with previous IPL titles to their name — brought big-match temperament to the forefront. Pandya in particular, who had been Player of the Match in an earlier final for his batting, turned the screws this time with the ball, controlling the middle overs and engineering a critical dismissal with guile and pace variation, bowling a miserly spell that proved crucial.
RCB’s 190 looked just about par, especially given that PBKS had chased down 204 at the same venue days earlier. But the pitch had changed, and so had the stakes. For all of Josh Inglis’ fireworks and Shashank Singh’s defiant late blitz — including a 30-ball 61 that nearly turned the tide — PBKS left themselves with too much to do in the final overs. Hazlewood’s composed start to the 20th over effectively shut the door, even if the final strikes came with a flourish.
PBKS’ journey in IPL 2025 was inspiring, but familiar heartbreak haunted them in the final hour. Shreyas Iyer’s early dismissal and Inglis’ exit at a critical moment halted their momentum. Krunal’s clever variations made scoring nearly impossible during the middle overs, choking a line-up that had otherwise thrived under pressure all season.
But at the heart of this story is Kohli — a man whose passion has defined RCB’s spirit through seasons of agony and ecstasy, a team he has given his youth, prime, and experience. His knock may have looked too conservative in a format obsessed with strike rates, but it was a masterclass in reading conditions and anchoring the innings when the ball wasn’t coming on. His leadership in this final — if not by title, then by presence — embodied a calm the franchise has long missed when the spotlight burns brightest.
There were other heroes too. Jitesh Sharma’s late 24 off 10 gave RCB a late push. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s penultimate over, where he conceded just a handful despite a blazing Shashank at the other end, set up the final act. And Hazlewood, entrusted with the last over in a pressure cooker, held his nerve.
More than just a cricketing result, RCB’s win is a story of belief — 18 years of it. A story of fan loyalty that never wavered, of a team that kept reloading with hope every season, and of a leader who chose not to walk away even as the trophy eluded him again and again.
For Kohli, the man who has been synonymous with RCB since the beginning, this win adds a missing trophy to his resume, and rewards years of commitment in a league that often sees players switch allegiances freely. He stayed. And now, he wins.
And for the fans who have chanted Ee Sala Cup Namde with more hope than certainty each year, that chant finally rings true. The wait is over. The cup is Bengaluru’s.
