After 17 years of longing, heartbreak, and relentless chants, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have finally etched their name in the history books바카라”winning their maiden IPL title in a thrilling six-run win over Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. A nervy finale, a below-par total, an inspired defense, and emotional celebrations defined a night that every RCB fan will cherish for generations.
RCB's Rollercoaster with the Bat
Winning the toss, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer opted to bowl first바카라”hoping to chase under the Ahmedabad lights. And RCB's innings began with fire and fury. Phil Salt smashed 13 runs off Arshdeep Singh바카라™s opening over, the most expensive first over in an IPL final. But the joy was short-lived. Kyle Jamieson struck early to remove Salt for 16 off 9, and that set the tone for a topsy-turvy innings.
Mayank Agarwal and Virat Kohli looked promising in a 41-run partnership, pushing RCB to 55/1 by the eighth over. But Yuzvendra Chahal, facing his old franchise, turned the screws. He dismissed Agarwal with a teasing delivery, and though Rajat Patidar struck a quick 26 off 16, Punjab kept chipping away.
The biggest blow came in the form of Kohli바카라™s dismissal for 43. Looking settled and hungry, he fell to a sharp return catch by Azmatullah Omarzai바카라”shocking the RCB camp and deflating the momentum.
RCB never quite recovered. Omarzai and Vijaykumar Vyshak kept things tight in the middle overs, while Chahal (1/37) managed to keep the run flow in check despite a final-over boundary burst. Arshdeep Singh, who had an expensive start, delivered a spectacular final over, restricting RCB to just 5 runs and finishing with 2/39. From 168/5 at the end of 17 overs, RCB could only muster 190/9 in their 20바카라”leaving a chaseable target for Punjab.
Punjab바카라™s Promising Start Turns Sour
The chase began steadily. Though Prabhsimran Singh struggled for fluency, Josh Inglis picked up the slack with a flurry of boundaries, taking PBKS to 70/1 after 8 overs. But it was Krunal Pandya who turned the game on its head. First, he broke the opening stand by dismissing Prabhsimran for 26. Then, in a huge moment, he trapped Inglis바카라”who was batting fluently with a strike rate over 175바카라”into a flat hit that landed straight into the hands of Liam Livingstone at long-on.
Krunal바카라™s spell of 4-0-17-2 was the defining phase of the match. Add to that a wicket for Romario Shepherd, who dismissed Shreyas Iyer for a duck (his third straight dismissal to Shepherd), and suddenly PBKS were in trouble at 88/4.
Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh tried to steady the ship. Wadhera briefly threatened with a six off Shepherd, but fell trying to go big against Bhuvneshwar Kumar, holing out to Krunal at sweeper cover.
The Final Stretch 바카라“ Nerve Meets Nostalgia
Heading into the final four overs, PBKS needed 55. Shashank Singh, batting with maturity, decided to take charge. He smoked a straight six and a clever scoop for four in the penultimate over, keeping the strike and reducing the equation to 29 off 6 balls.
But with Josh Hazlewood holding the ball, RCB바카라™s nerves were in safe hands. Despite a few late hits, Hazlewood held his line and length under immense pressure. The final ball saw Shashank slice a full and wide delivery for a six over cover바카라”but it was too little, too late.
Punjab finished on 184/7. RCB had done it. After three previous heartbreaks in IPL finals, this was the moment they had waited for.
Virat Kohli Breaks Down, RCB Rise
As the final ball disappeared into the stands, the Narendra Modi Stadium erupted. Virat Kohli collapsed onto the turf, overcome with emotion. The entire RCB squad swarmed around him. Jersey number 18 had delivered in the 18th season. The chants of "EE SALA CUP NAMDE" had finally come true.
