Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are finally IPL Champions after 18 long seasons.
The 2025 IPL season has drawn to a close, but it will be remembered by some 34 million fans as the season their franchise finally bagged one.
After 17 seasons ending in disappointment for one of cricket’s biggest and most passionate fan bases, they finally have a title to their name and the wait makes it all that bit sweeter.
Watch the highlights of the final below:
It was 18th time lucky number 18.
They’ve come close on three occasions but would always fall short. A pain New Zealand cricket fans can relate to all too well. In honour of RCB fans, I thought I’d run through their 18-year wait to be crowned IPL Champions.
1st season (2008): Winners – Rajasthan Royals
It was the inaugural season of the IPL, and a fresh-faced Virat Kohli was joined by the likes of Rahul Dravid (c), Anil Kumble, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Ross Taylor.
A stacked team from the top down but surprisingly they finished second to last with just two wins for the season.
As the saying goes, “A superstar team beats a team of superstars”. In this case, other teams didn’t even have to be a superstar team to beat this RCB side.
The Rajasthan Royals went on to beat the Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets.
2nd season (2009): Winners – Deccan Chargers
With a largely unchanged squad, RCB managed to bounce back after a terrible debut season. The one notable change was the captaincy was handed to Anil Kumble.
Kumble led the team to eight wins and six losses securing a playoff spot.
Finishing 3rd on the ladder, RCB made light work of the Chennai Super Kings in the semi-final and would take on the Deccan Chargers.
A disappointing run chase meant RCB fell 6 runs shy of being crowned champions. Little did they know this was as close as they’d come for 16 more years.
4th season (2011): Winners – Chennai Super Kings
After scrapping their way into the playoffs the previous year RCB fell short losing in the semi-final. But in the 2011 season, RCB found themselves playing for all the marbles once again.
Skipper and Kiwi icon, Daniel Vettori led the team to 9 wins and 4 losses, earning them the number 1 spot on the table.
They took care of the Mumbai Indians, winning by 43 runs to advance to the final. Chris Gayle whacked 89 off 47 and Vettori had 3/19 off his four overs.
Their opposition in the final, CSK, who were on the verge of going back-to-back. This team had now been to three finals in the first four years. They knew what it took to win, and it showed.
CSK blitzed RCB. Winning by 58 runs, RCB were never a chance of chasing down 205 back in those days.
The wait for RCB fans continues…
9th season (2016): Winners – Sunrisers Hyderabad
At this stage, RCB’s trio, dubbed their ‘holy trinity’ were well and truly due an IPL title.
And the fans too of course.
Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli as captain managed 8 wins in the regular season and got through to the final by beating the Gujarat Lions by 4 wickets.
B-Mac was on that side, but he could only manage 1 off 4 balls opening the batting.
A straight run through to the finals meant they had a rest before taking on Davey Warner’s Hyderabad side.
Batting first Hyderabad put on 208/7 after their 20 overs with Warner leading the charge.
Gayle and Kohli’s responses were a 76 off 38 and 54 off 35 respectfully, but the rest of the team couldn’t pull their weight falling an agonising 8 runs short.
On the bright side, Virat Kohli was named player of the tournament for the first time scoring 973 runs in the 16 games played.
18th season (2025): Winners – Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Having to wait nine more years before they made another final, RCB fans finally have their trophy.
Players had come and gone as they do in the IPL, but one key cog remained.
King Kohli.
He delivered a risk-adverse 43 off 35, the highest total in the team. They managed 190 off their 20 overs, the lowest total at this ground for nine games.
It proved to be a crucial knock as it became a bowler dominated game.
Although they won by six runs, it wasn’t as close as it seemed. Needing 29 off the final over, Shashank Singh after facing two dot balls went six, four, six, six to close out the game.
It is fitting however that RCB won by six runs when they lost their first ever final 17 years ago by the same margin.
A special moment but it was made even more special when Kohli was joined by his former colleagues Gayle and de Villiers.
“What he’s done for the franchise has been absolutely tremendous,” Kohli, speaking of de Villiers.
It is as much de Villiers and Gayle’s title as it for Kohli and the other players.
Now because of all the expectations of this team and IPL, can they repeat it all next year?