- Friday, June 06, 2025
The 36-year-old veteran has played in all 18 of RCB’s campaigns including the three previous finals that they lost, and stayed loyal to the franchise right from the first IPL in 2008
By: India Weekly
AFTER an 18-year-long wait, the newly-crowned IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans got a chance to say “Ee Sala Cup Namdu” (this year the cup is ours).
Bengaluru witnessed a semi-Diwali ambience with people bursting crackers well past midnight after the news trickled in.
The final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was a low-scoring and closely fought match.
Put in to bat first, RCB was unable to stitch together significant partnerships and fell short of the 200-mark.
However, some tight spells by RCB bowlers help restrict Punjab to 184-7, despite the heroics of Shashank Singh, who scored an unbeaten 61 off 30 balls.
The dismissal of Punjab’s in-form captain Shreyas Iyer by Romario Shepherd for just one run turned the match on its head.
Krunal Pandya was the standout bowler for Bengaluru ending with two wickets, and conceding just 17 runs in four overs.
As the match drew to a close, veteran batter Virat Kohli became teary-eyed and dropped to the ground before being hugged by his teammates
Kohli (36) has played in all 18 of RCB’s campaigns including the three previous finals that they lost (2009, 2011 and 2016) and stayed loyal the team right from the first IPL in 2008.
“I’ve given this team my youth, my prime, my experience. I gave it everything I have. I never thought this day would come. I was overcome with emotion as soon as the last ball was bowled,” said Kohli.
Kohli remained a key player for his team this season with 657 runs, including eight half-centuries in 15 innings, often playing the anchor after opening the batting.
The veteran, however, confessed that though the IPL win was sweet, it ranked “five levels below Test cricket”.
“This moment is right up there with the best moments in my career. But it still ranks five levels below Test cricket. That’s how much I value Test cricket. And that’s how much I love Test cricket.
“So I would just urge the youngsters coming through… if you want to earn respect in world cricket all over, take up Test cricket, give your heart and soul to it.”
Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar said that “Virat Kohli deserved it more than anyone else”.
“It is really special for me, for Virat Kohli, and all the fans. Those who have supported for years, they all deserve it. It’s a great opportunity for me and a great learning for me to captain Kohli, he deserves it more than anyone else,” Patidar said after the final.
Kohli praised Patidar’s captaincy through the tournament and tossed his bat at him during the dressing room celebrations, and the skipper was seen kissing the willow in a show of respect.
“Rajat led from the front, led with composure, his bowling changes, his calmness was absolutely phenomenal through the tournament,” Kohli said.
“Heartbreak corner… no more. “What a turnaround. From injury replacement to IPL-winning captain. Bloody hell…,” Kohli said of Patidar as he entered the dressing room.
“Very difficult to explain, man,” Kohli said to the RCB cameraman.
“Full bunch of match winners. People stepping up at different stages and putting their hands up to get the job done for the team. To have that hunger and confidence in them.
“I am just glad that I could do it with RCB,” Kohli signed off.
Patidar praised Player of the Match Krunal Pandya for his 2/17 that became the game-changer.
“Krunal is a wicket-taking bowler. I look for him whenever we need wickets. Suyash and the pacers were good all season. Shepherd gave the key wicket tonight.”
We will come back next year and lift the Cup, he added.
Acquiring a lethal bowling attack in the mega auction and picking players with experience were “huge first steps” in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s march to their maiden IPL title, said head coach Andy Flower.
“The auction is a huge first step that you’ve got to try and get as right as possible and (as a) part of (team director) Mo’s (Mo Bobat) philosophy right up front, was to distribute the value a little more equitably rather than spending too much on big-name batsmen who are, of course, very fine players,” Flower told the media after RCB’s title win.
“The importance of a good bowling attack was acknowledged right at the start before the auction and we worked towards that.”
“I know after the first day of the auction, we were copping a little bit of flak. People thought that we were investing our money rather than spending it. But it meant that there was some really good value to be had on the second day,” the former Zimbabwe captain said.
Flower counted the players RCB added to their roster during the auction in November at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“We had the money to then spend on that value. We got guys like Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Krunal (Pandya), Tim David, Romario Shepherd on that second day so that was really important,” he said.
“Suyash Sharma has done really well for us — our little leg spinner. I thought he has handled himself really well through the season.
Punjab Kings’ head coach Ricky Ponting said an emotional Virat Kohli dropping to his knees in tears showed how much he yearned for the IPL title and how much winning the tournament means to players.
“You can see in his eyes in that last over, he was shedding a tear, that’s what it means to players, that’s what it means to everyone,’ Ponting told the media after the final.
“Chennai (Super Kings) have won it a few times, Mumbai (Indians) have won it a few times, but it’s not an easy tournament to win — it is as simple as that — and you have to think long and hard about that. It’s not easy to win this thing,” he added.
One of the greats of the game himself, Ponting, agreed with Kohli’s sentiments about Test cricket.
“Yeah, I understand that. I’m probably one of the biggest purists of the game still involved, whether I’m coaching or commentating, my first love is Test match cricket, always will be.
“I was lucky enough to play some World Cups and things like that, but now that I can’t play anymore, this is as close as I can get to being able to play a Test match again.”
“But I totally understand what he means, you know, he had a magnificent Test match career and an even better white-ball career that’s obviously still going,” Ponting said.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru owner Vijay Mallya recalled picking a young Virat Kohli 18 seasons ago in the players auction and said it was remarkable to witness the maestro staying loyal to the franchise, which has finally won a long-awaited IPL trophy.
“When I founded RCB it was my dream that the IPL trophy should come to Bengaluru. I had the privilege of picking the legendary King Kohli as a youngster and it is remarkable that he has stayed with RCB for 18 years,” Mallya wrote in a post on ‘X’.
RCB picked Kohli in the inaugural IPL auction in January 2008, and the batting superstar has only played for the Bengaluru-based franchise since then.
The UK-based Mallya lost ownership of the franchise in 2016 after defaulting on bank loans. The team is now completely owned by United Spirits.
Mallya is, however, credited with playing major a role in signing the cricketing giants like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Jacques Kallis, and Anil Kumble among others for RCB.
“I also had the honor of picking Chris Gayle the Universe Boss and Mr 360 AB DeVillers who remain an indelible part of RCB history. Finally, the IPL trophy arrives in Bengaluru.
The liquor baron, who is accused of defaulting on loans worth several crores from Indian banks, including the State Bank of India, congratulated the entire RCB team management for the triumph.
“RCB are IPL Champions finally after 18 years. Superb campaign right through the 2025 tournament. A well balanced team Playing Bold with outstanding coaching and support staff. Many congratulations ! Ee sala cup namde !!”
