RCB beat Punjab Kings by six runs to lift the trophy
Emotions ran high and tears were shed on the cricket pitch as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally clinched the ever-elusive Indian Premier League (IPL) title by beating Punjab Kings by six runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Virat Kohli couldn’t hold back tears when he realised that his team’s name was being engraved on the IPL trophy with three balls left. As soon as the final ball was bowled by Josh Hazlewood, teammates ran to their longest-serving captain and mobbed him in joy.
Swastik Chikara, who has been literally shadowing Kohli all season long, was the first to rush to him from the dug-out as the other joined.
Fireworks lit up the stadium and the partisan RCB crowd in Gujarat’s financial capitals brought down the roof with their noise.
Kohli’s emotion was raw and pure, but also eloquent as a poet when he said, “Its been 18 long years, I’ve given it my youth, my prime, my experience. It means everything. My heart belongs to RCB, my soul belongs to Bengaluru. This trophy is for the city and the team.”
Kohli thanks AB de Villiers and invites him lift the trophy
Kohli’s former team mate AB de Villiers was also present in the stadium as he recorded the celebrations from the sidelines. Kohli expressed his gratitude towards De Villiers for playing for the franchise for many years and sharing the pain of losing two close finals with him.
“What ABD has done for the franchise is tremendous, told him ‘this win is as much yours as it is ours. I want you to celebrate with us’. He’s been the POTM most times in the franchise despite being retired for four years. Tells you the impact he’s had on the league, team and me. He deserves to be on the podium, lifting the cup,” Kohli told Matthew Hayden after the final.
De Villiers had revealed on his YouTube channel in the early stages of the IPL 2025 that Kohli had told him not to say ‘Ee Saala Cup Namde’ (This Years The Trophy Is Ours) as he felt the franchise had jinxed itself by adopting the phrase and inviting too much pressure.
Josh Hazlewood, who bowled the final over of the match and claimed 1-54, understood the gravity of the situation as felt Kohli deserved the trophy for the number of years he put for the team.
“Probably means everything. Players come and go but playing here for 18 years is something incredible. It’s a long time,” Hazlewood, who claimed 22 wickets from 12 matches and finished third in the Purple Cap race, said.
