Home
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the IPL 2025 final held at the Narendra Modi stadium on Tuesday to lift their first-ever IPL title. It was an emotional moment especially for Virat Kohli, who has been featuring for the Bengaluru-based franchise since the inaugural season of the league, but had never been able to lift the title in previous seasons.
Following their emphatic win, a victory parade and felicitation ceremony was announced to take place in Bengaluru. The latter event was held at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium. During the ceremony, Kohli gave a heartfelt tribute to the fans, who have been with the team during the highs and the lows.
Kohli also revealed that Patidar will be leading the side for many seasons to come
He dedicated the victory to the fans and also stated that Rajat Patidar, who replaced Faf du Plessis as RCB's new skipper ahead of the season, will be captaining the side for a long time.
“I don't have much time so plese let me talk. I want to start off by repeating by what Patidar said last night. It now Ee sala cup namdu. We did it not just for us, but for all who have supported us through the thick and thin. I have never seen a fan base as true and loyal as you. When we did our unbox and we were to call upon our new captain, I had requested you guys to back him and support him and I told you he will be leading us for a long long time,” Kohli said at the felicitation ceremony.
ALSO READ: India's ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav gets engaged to childhood friend in close-knit ceremony in Lucknow
Despite winning countless honours with the Indian team at the international stage, Kohli couldn't hold back his tears after RCB secured the victory over PBKS in the final. The star cricketer had been chasing the title for 18 years and despite his superb batting performances, had come up short on every occasion. Following the match, Kohli stated that he never thought that the day would come when he would become an IPL champion.
"This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It's been 18 long years. I've given this team my youth, prime and experience. I've tried to win it every season, gave it everything I have. To finally have it is an unbelievable feeling. Never thought this day would come, I was overcome with emotion after the last ball was bowled. Gave each and every ounce of my energy and it's an amazing feeling," Kohli said during the post-match presentation.
With the victory, RCB became the eighth team to lift the coveted title. The team's yearning for the IPL trophy had been going on for years and there couldn't have been a better way to end it.
ADVERTISEMENT
