Ahmedabad: After an agonising 18-year wait, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally clinched their maiden IPL title with a thrilling six-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Tuesday.
The final moments were a rollercoaster of emotions as Josh Hazlewood bowled to Shashank Singh, who smashed a six that hardly mattered for PBKS’s cause. The fans erupted, knowing RCB were champions for the very first time in their history — a moment decades in the making.
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Virat Kohli, donning the number 18 jersey in his 18th IPL season, broke down in tears. The seasoned star, who had chased this elusive crown for years, was finally rewarded. Cameras lingered on Kohli and AB de Villiers, the latter finishing his IPL journey without a title, while Kohli stood triumphant.
Earlier in the innings, Shashank Singh had kept Punjab Kings fighting with a flurry of boundaries and sixes — including a majestic loft over long-on off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and a powerful six off Hazlewood’s slower deliveries. But despite his valiant efforts, it was "too little, too late" for Punjab.
RCB’s bowlers, led by Bhuvneshwar and Yash Dayal, picked crucial wickets at key moments. Dayal’s slower ball claimed Azmatullah Omarzai's wicket with a smart catch from the substitute fielder Manoj Bhandage, sparking celebrations from the RCB camp. The decisive blow came when Krunal Pandya trapped Josh Inglis with a stunning catch at long-on, breaking the momentum of PBKS’s chase.
Krunal was outstanding with both ball and in the field, his clever variations and sharp catching turning the tide. Nehal Wadhera and Marcus Stoinis found some rhythm with massive sixes, but wickets kept falling — Nehal Wadhera caught by Pandya, Stoinis by Dayal — underlining RCB’s clinical finish.
The battle had high points for PBKS too, like Priyansh Arya’s fearless stroke play, scoring 24 off 19 balls with some aggressive boundaries. But Hazlewood’s key wickets, including Arya’s dismissal caught by Phil Salt, tilted the scales.
As the clock ticked, the final six from Shashank Singh was a mere consolation. RCB players and fans celebrated long and loud, reveling in the joy of finally ending their IPL title drought.
The final scoreboard reflected a hard-fought match, but the story belonged to Kohli and RCB — champions at last.
RCB posted a competitive 190 for 9 in their 20 overs against Punjab Kings, anchored by Kohli’s fluent 43 and supported by a series of valuable cameos.
Phil Salt started aggressively, launching Arshdeep Singh for a six and a four in the opening over. However, Kyle Jamieson quickly shifted the momentum by dismissing Salt, who top-edged a slog and was caught brilliantly by Shreyas Iyer at mid-on.
Mayank Agarwal and Kohli steadied the innings, with Kohli playing some exquisite flicks and slog sweeps. Rajat Patidar joined the attack with two towering sixes but fell to a clever slower ball from Jamieson as the innings approached the halfway mark.
Liam Livingstone injected acceleration, scoring a quick 25 off 15 balls, including a brutal six over midwicket and a sweep over long-off. Yet, he was dismissed LBW in the 17th over after missing a low full toss.
Jitesh Sharma continued the late surge with 24 off just 10 deliveries, featuring two sixes including a stunning scoop over fine leg, but was bowled by Vijaykumar Vyshak.
Romario Shepherd provided the final flourish with 17 off 9 balls, smacking a six and a four in the 19th over.
Despite conceding 37 runs in his first three overs, Arshdeep Singh bowled an exceptional final over, conceding just 3 runs while taking 3 crucial wickets, finishing with figures of 4-0-30-3. Kyle Jamieson also impressed with 3 for 48, while Azmatullah Omarzai, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Vyshak chipped in with a wicket each.
RCB were 167 for 4 at one point but lost five wickets for 23 runs in the final 21 balls, finishing with a challenging total of 190 for 9.