Ahmedabad – The wait is finally over! Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) etched their name into the history books by winning their first-ever IPL title in a heart-stopping final against Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium. After 18 seasons of near-misses and heartbreaks, RCB emerged victorious by just six runs in the IPL 2025 grand finale.
Put into bat first, RCB posted a competitive total of 190/9 in 20 overs, showcasing a determined batting effort. In reply, Punjab Kings put up a gritty fight, but RCB’s bowling brilliance, led by Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, restricted them to 184/7, sealing a long-awaited championship for the Bengaluru-based franchise.
Punjab started the chase strongly, with Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh laying a solid foundation. But Krunal Pandya’s exceptional spell—4 overs, 17 runs, 2 wickets—turned the tide in RCB’s favour. He removed Prabhsimran and skipper Shreyas Iyer, tightening RCB’s grip on the match.
A fiery 39 off 23 balls from English offered Punjab hope, but once again Krunal struck at a vital moment. Despite a late surge by Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, Punjab couldn’t cross the finish line. Bhuvneshwar’s key breakthroughs and Azmatullah Omarzai’s final wicket sealed the win.
After falling short in three previous finals, RCB finally lifted the IPL trophy, bringing joy and relief to millions of fans and ending one of the longest title droughts in franchise cricket. The Virat Kohli-led side can now proudly call themselves IPL champions.
