The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their first Indian Premier League (IPL) title after 18 years, defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
The emotional high point of the night came when RCB icon Virat Kohli was spotted in tears following the victory. He hurried over to give his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, a beautiful embrace. Anushka, who has been with Kohli since the 2014 Indian Premier League, made the occasion memorable by sticking by him through all the highs and lows.
RCB scored 190 runs in the opening innings, with Kohli providing a vital 43. PBKS bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Arshdeep Singh both had impressive three-wicket totals. Despite Shashank Singh’s 61-run knock off 30 balls, PBKS put up a strong fight but were only six runs short.
Watch a video of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma hugging here:
Emotional Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma crying together hugging each other 😭❤️ pic.twitter.com/HVwMFYrR9c
— RIYA (@Riyaaa1808) June 3, 2025RCB’s bowlers kept their cool under pressure. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya both had pivotal spells that kept their team ahead in the closing seconds.
Kohli consistently performed very well throughout the tournament, hitting 657 runs in 15 matches with an average of 54.75, while every one of his eight half-centuries resulted in an RCB victory. His regular excellent performances and strong leadership made a big difference for the Bengaluru team.
RCB came second in the 2025 IPL points table with 19 points and thus earned a place in Qualifier 1 to compete against PBKS in Mullanpur. Their excellent bowling performance helped them get into the final directly. Despite the initial loss, PBKS came back by defeating Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Qualifier 2 and qualified for the finals.
Thanks to Rajat Patidar, RCB achieved the trophy which they had not gotten in past seasons. The achievement shows how far the franchise has grown over the years.
