After 18 years, three finals, and a fanbase that never stopped believing, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are finally IPL champions. On the night of June 3, 2025, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in one of the most nerve-shredding finals in IPL history. The score: RCB 190 for 9, PBKS 184 for 7. The tears were real.
IPL 2025 Final — Match at a Glance
How Did RCB Win the IPL 2025 Final?
Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and asked RCB to bat first on a pitch with unusual bounce that made timing difficult. RCB's innings was built around Virat Kohli's composed 43 off 35 balls. Jitesh Sharma then played a destructive cameo of 24 off just 10 balls to push the total towards 190. Captain Rajat Patidar contributed a brisk 26 off 16, keeping the scoreboard moving through the middle overs.
Krunal Pandya: The Hero With the Ball
If Kohli anchored the innings, it was Krunal Pandya who won the match with the ball. His extraordinary spell of 4 overs for just 17 runs included two crucial wickets at a stage when PBKS looked dangerous. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also showed his class with 2 for 38. Punjab Kings gave it everything. Shashank Singh remained unbeaten on 61 while Josh Inglis made a high-tempo 39 off 23 balls. But the RCB bowlers held their nerve.
What Did This Moment Mean for Virat Kohli?
Virat Kohli has played for one IPL franchise for 18 consecutive seasons and scored 8,661 runs for RCB, the most by any batter in IPL history. He captained the side through years of heartbreak, including the devastating 2016 final despite scoring a record 973 runs that season. When the final wicket fell on June 3, Kohli fell to his knees. Was this the most emotional moment of his entire career?
AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle Were There Too
Two of RCB's greatest overseas players were present at the Narendra Modi Stadium to witness the historic win. AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, who came agonisingly close to winning the IPL with RCB in 2009, 2011 and 2016, celebrated alongside Kohli on the field. The image of those three together, finally with the trophy, went viral across every cricket platform within minutes of the final wicket falling.
"This moment is ten times more special because they are here." — Virat Kohli on AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, June 3, 2025
Rajat Patidar Lifts the Trophy
Captain Rajat Patidar received the trophy from Jay Shah and Roger Binny, lifting it with his teammates crowding around him. Patidar, who overcame a finger injury during the tournament, led RCB with calm authority in his first full season as captain. Was there ever any doubt he was the right man for the job after this performance?
The Victory Parade in Bengaluru
On June 4, 2025, RCB held a victory parade through Bengaluru beginning at 3:30 PM and culminating at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets. For a city that had chanted Ee Sala Cup Namdu every IPL season since 2008, this was the moment they had been waiting a lifetime for.
Key Performances
Virat Kohli: 43 off 35 balls, top scorer for RCB. Jitesh Sharma: 24 off 10 balls, a match-defining cameo. Krunal Pandya: 4 overs, 2 wickets, 17 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 2 wickets for 38 runs. Rajat Patidar: 26 off 16 balls as captain.