History Made: RCB Lifts Their First IPL Trophy After 18 Years of long wait

Hemani Kandhari 

June 4, 2025: The wait is finally over. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have won their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title, defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday night.

After years of heartbreaks and close finishes, RCB held the trophy in their fifth IPL final appearance. Despite posting a modest total of 190/9, their bowlers did a fine job to restrict Punjab Kings to 184/7.

Virat Kohli, playing a key role yet again, was RCB’s top-scorer with 43 off 35 balls. Captain Rajat Patidar chipped in with 26 off 16, but RCB struggled to build momentum with the bat.

Punjab’s bowlers, especially Arshdeep Singh (3/40) and Kyle Jamieson (3/48), bowled well to keep them in the game. Yuzvendra Chahal also kept the pressure on with a tidy spell. Azmatullah Omarzai managed to dismiss Kohli, giving Punjab a big breakthrough.

But when it was their turn to bat, Punjab’s lineup couldn’t stand up to the pressure. Shreyas Iyer’s side lost wickets at regular intervals and fell just short. RCB’s Krunal Pandya was outstanding with the ball, finishing with 2/17 in four overs.

This was Punjab Kings’ second IPL final – their first since 2014 – and a bitter disappointment once again. RCB, who were runners-up in 2009, 2011, and 2016, finally ended their long wait for the title, sending fans into celebration across the country.

With this victory, one of IPL’s most popular franchises has finally added silverware to its cabinet – a moment RCB fans have been dreaming of for nearly two decades.