Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 191-run target was considered well below par by most experts at the half-way stage of the Indian Premier League 2025 final in Ahmedabad. It was RCB's bowling, led by an ultra-economical Krunal Pandya, that helped them limit Punjab Kings to a 184-run total and win the coveted title for the first time in 18 years.
Pandya returned match-winning figures of 2/17 in four overs with an economy rate of 4.25 and was deserved named the Player of the Match (POTM) award for his exploits.
This was not the first time that the senior Pandya brother had claimed the honour in an IPL final. The spin-bowling all-rounder had helped Mumbai Indians win the trophy in 2017 with a 38-ball 47 against the now defunct Rising Pune Super Giant in the summit clash. Krunal thus becomes the only player to win the POTM award more than once.
Former India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan had won the award in the first-ever IPL final in 2008. Guiding Rajasthan Royals to victory, Pathan hit a 39-ball 56 while also snaring three wickets against the Chennai Super Kings.
Interestingly, all-time great Anil Kumble is the only player to win the POTM award in a final while ending up on the losing side. His figures of 4/16 were not enough for RCB to avert defeat against Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009.
Let us take at the full list of POTM award winners in IPL finals:
Player Of The Match Award Winners In All IPL Finals
| Year | Final | Player of the Match |
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Yusuf Pathan (RR) |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Anil Kumble (RCB) |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians | Suresh Raina (CSK) |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Murali Vijay (CSK) |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings | Manvinder Bisla (KKR) |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | Kieron Pollard (MI) |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Manish Pandey (KKR) |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | Rohit Sharma (MI) |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Ben Cutting (SRH) |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians vs Rising Pune Supergiant | Krunal Pandya (MI) |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Shane Watson (CSK) |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | Jasprit Bumrah (MI) |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | Trent Boult (MI) |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Faf du Plessis (CSK) |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Hardik Pandya (GT) |
| 2023 | Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Devon Conway (CSK) |
| 2024 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mitchell Starc (KKR) |
| 2025 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings | Krunal Pandya (RCB) |
Krunal said after helping break RCB's 17-year jinx: "My biggest strength has been to learn what the situation requires. I knew I had to be brave to get wickets tonight. Thought I'd do that by bowling slow.
"If you'd have bowled quick, it'd have been a good wicket. But if you mixed it up it was tougher. Pitch actually got easier in the second innings. Have enjoyed my time with RCB so far, I said on day one I wanted to win. I told Hardik that the Pandya household will have nine trophies in 11 years."
