Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings, Final, June 3, 2025 - Full Commentary

Virat Kohli: This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It's been 18 long years. I've given this time my youth, my prime. I gave it everything I have. I never thought this day would come. Was overcome with emotion as soon as the last ball was bowled. What he's (AB) done for this franchise is tremendous. Told him before the game as well - this one is as much yours and I wanted him to celebrate with us. He still has the most MoM awards for us and he's been retired four years. He deserves to be on the podium with us. I have stayed loyal to this team, no matter what. Have had moments when I thought otherwise, but I stuck to this team. My heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore and this is the team I'll play for till the time I play the IPL. Tonight I'll sleep like a baby. I have an opportunity to play this game for not many years. There's an end-date to us. Want to give everything I have before that. Thankful to God for giving it in my lap finally. You find different ways to help the team. This management and group is outstanding to be honest. A lot of people questioned us after the auction, but by Day 2 we were happy with what we had. There's a lot that's been spoken about me already, this win is for Bangalore. This moment is right up there with the best moments in my career. But it still ranks five levels below Test cricket. If you want to earn respect, take up Test cricket.

Mayank Agarwal: I think llife is very unpredictable. If you can stay put, keep grinding, it can turn, it can turn 360.

Dinesh Karthik: Massive. It's a team that's waited 18 years. Played a lot of good cricket, had to wait for its time. But it belongs to every fan here. Virat Kohli. The greats like AB and Gayle, they've all tried their hearts out. Couple of support staff in our team: Basu, Mane kaka, they've all waited 18 years. Really happy for them. Right from the start we believed we were a team that was good. We had a lot of bases covered. Great to see different boys stand up at different points of time. Even today, it was a high pressure game and they really pushed us. Not an easy wicket to bat on but I think we put up a score that was above par. Batters felt it wasn't easy to bat. There was a bit in the pitch. This game, the final, it's not about the pitch, it's about the emotion and the fire in the tank. Lot of credit to the support staff. Must say Andy Flower put us through the rigour. Really pushed us. And I think it made us good support staff. I've become a better batting coach than what I started. The way he's groomed me and helped me. From the start he had a plan and a vision. Amazing work by the boys.

Phil Salt: It’s an unbelievable feeling right now. I don’t quite know where I am at the minute, I haven’t had much sleep. I’ve got a lucky charm now (on his newborn child), feeling over the moon. Everywhere we go we’re the best supported team. The fanbase is ridiculous, we absolutely love them. Thanks for supporting, thanks for coming out in numbers, we were behind the eight ball to start but we saw the roar of the crowd, you’ve won more games for us than you think.

Josh Hazlewood: I think 190 was a very good score. I think the wicket was little bit up and down, it may have gotten better as the night went on, but I think our guys fought it with the bat in the end to post that score, everyone just chipped in and the bowlers held their nerves, yeah it was a great result. It probably means everything, few of us come and go franchises, but to be there from the start and slug it out for 18 seasons (talking about Kohli) and to get the result tonight, I think you will see a bit of emotion.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar: We knew the wicket is not easy. We thought 180 would be a good score to defend and we got 190 - 10 more than what we thought. And the way we executed our plans says a lot about the bowling unit. His spell changed the scenario for us. Change of pace wasn't easy. We spoke about not overusing it and using other options along with the slower one as well.

In sport, jubilation for one side always means heartbreak for the other, and at the receiving end of that heartbreak today are the Punjab Kings. They bravely fought their way into the final - a band of uncapped heroes rallying behind their international stars, punching much harder than expected and making a resounding statement. Unfortunately, it didn’t come together today as it didn’t back in 2014. Let it be known though that their leader, Shreyas Iyer, is one of the finest to ever hold the reins of an IPL team. He’s the only captain to have led three different franchises to finals including KKR to the title last season. In Ricky Ponting, Punjab also have a tough and seasoned coach who’s formed a superb working relationship with the captain. Over the years, change has been the only constant at the Punjab franchise but going forward, this leadership group will be the new constant. They might not have won the title but they’ve taken this franchise from a position of ridicule to respect. Tonight will sting. But in the ache of defeat, Punjab fans will also find hope - real, tangible hope.

Glory finally belongs to RCB! Gone are the pangs of agony lingering since 2016. They fell nine runs short of victory that day. It took nine long years for redemption but it’s here at last! RCB's change in ethos has worked wonders. No longer were they after the glitziest star-cast; instead they shrewdly assembled a powerful ensemble - one driven by contributions from all corners towards one collective goal. Kohli - an insatiable run-machine who notched his eight 500-plus run season; Patidar - an unsung yet astute leader; Hazlewood - the sword and the shield of RCB’s bowling attack; Phil Salt - a fearless dasher who led the batting assault; Krunal Pandya - the bank, the insurer and the underwriter; Jitesh Sharma - a timely hero; and all the others who stepped up just when their side needed them, including Padikkal, Tim David, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma and Romario Shepherd. It was a true team-effort that propelled RCB to the pinnacle.

Celebrations right after the last ball: Kohli went to his knees and covered his face with his hands. Patidar was running forward in celebration. ABD had his hands up in triumph. Kohli climbs on Salt and then hugs Andy Flower and his wife Anushka Sharma - a kiss on her forehead to mark his happiness. Mayank and the others too started in the celebrations. Hazlewood hugs Anushka. Meanwhile Prabhsimran is comforted by Ricky Ponting. A sea of emotions out there and the Narendra Modi Stadium is awash with RCB supporters elated with the PBKS' ones crestfallen. That's sport for you!

Coming to the chase, both the openers started well but RCB kept taking wickets and Krunal's spell was game-changing. He put the brakes on and took the dangerous Inglis, also not to forget the all-important wicket taken by Shepherd of Shreyas who did not fire tonight. Punjab though bat very deep with the likes of Jamieson at 9. But the asking rate kept climbing and wickets came and went. Wadhera holed out to sweeper cover, Stoinis started with a six but went next-ball. And Yash Dayal and Hazlewood closed it out despite Shashank Singh wanting to keep strike for a majority of the last two overs. RCB's fielding apart from the Shepherd drop early on, was excellent with Salt setting the tone with that catch of Priyansh. All the catches were taken and RCB kept their composure to professionally close it out. The target was not big but since this was a big final and with a lot riding on it - PBKS just were outsmarted by RCB. Stay tuned for all the glutton of post-match stuff we have lined up for you....

23:24 Local Time, 17:54 GMT, 23:24 IST: Gee! Where do we even begin to describe this. Grown men crying. RCB have finally done it. This will be a moment that will live long in the memory. One can imagine the scenes in Bengaluru - that city won't sleep tonight as will every RCB supporter. Shouts of Aarrrrrrrrr-Ceeeeeeeeeee--Beeeeeeeeeee will be roaring around every street. Firecrackers will be burst with gay abandon and what not. It will be mental out there. You just have to be there to experience it. Imagine yourself in Kohli's shoes - that man has won everything that is there to be won in international cricket but he hadn't won this one trophy. And he has played all these 18 years for RCB. One-man club! One-man franchise. One-man who is a cult hero in Bengaluru. And finally he has done it. The reactions from him even with 5 balls left in the final over - where he was ready to cry, would make anyone teary-eyed.

19.6 Hazlewood to Shashank Singh, SIX, it's six but it won't matter a jot for RCB. RCB are IPL champs for the first time. 18 years. 18 long years it has taken them to achieve this. Tears from a man as experienced and who has seen everything in his career from Kohli. They surround him. He is crying. What scenes in Ahmedabad. The camera just focusses on two people - Kohli and ABD. The latter finished his career without an IPL but the former won't be denied. In his 18th year with the number 18 on his back. Maybe it was destined to be like this. Maybe this was all god's plan. Say this aloud once again all you RCB fans will say - RCB are IPL champs! Finally their chant of Ee saala cup namde [this year the cup will be ours] has translated into reality. A moment that every RCB supporter from Bellary to Bengaluru, from Mysore to Mandya, all over Karnataka and all around the world will never forget. The dreaded IPL trophy curse is now over. Breathe RCB fans, take a deep breath - all that longing and waiting, all those disappointments, all those heartbreaks, all those near-misses, all those 17 years of seeing others win and in turn facing trolls and seeing them being ridiculed - all that can now be forgotten. RCB have an IPL trophy. Coming to the last ball for the ones who care about what happened: A half-volley outside off, Shashank Singh gets forward and lofts well over deep extra-cover, this flew flat for six but as soon as the ball was landing outside the cushions, the celebrations began. Kohli went to ground and was seen punching the turf in delight even as he was in tears.

ABD is ready. He has a chat with Harsha Bhogle.

19.5 Hazlewood to Shashank Singh, SIX, slower-ball off-cutter full on middle, Shashank Singh gets forward and heaves it miles, it's a lot of height and the distance, over deep mid-wicket and all the way

19.4 Hazlewood to Shashank Singh, FOUR, boundary but won't matter. A hard length delivery on the stumps, Shashank Singh pulls and it's a top-edge over Jitesh Sharma, beats Shepherd's dive from fine-leg, he pushes the ball into the cushions

19.3 Hazlewood to Shashank Singh, SIX, low full-toss on middle, Shashank Singh swings it away over deep mid-wicket, it's six and it's too little too late for PBKS

Just 4 legal balls and RCB are IPL champs. Kohli in tears.

19.2 Hazlewood to Shashank Singh, no run, very full outside off, Shashank Singh gets forward to drive to long-off. A dot and RCB are there

Kohli is ready to cry. He is so emotional right now.

19.1 Hazlewood to Shashank Singh, no run, a juicy low full-toss on the hips, Shashank Singh swipes and misses, was there to be put away and he missed