The wait is over. After 18 long seasons, Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally broke their Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought with a heart-stopping six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the 2025 final on Tuesday.
The moment, heavy with history and emotion, saw Kohli – the tournament’s enduring face – sink to his knees, tears streaming, overcome by the weight of the moment he feared might never come.
“I’ve given this team my youth, my prime, my experience,” Kohli said, voice trembling as he clutched the coveted trophy. “Eighteen long years. I never thought this day would come.”
Kohli’s 43-run knock in the final, gritty and tactical on a sluggish Ahmedabad pitch, may not have been flashy, but it was pivotal.
It was the kind of innings only a man driven by destiny could play – slow by T20 standards, yet steadying the team just enough.
Every dot ball in the final over by Josh Hazlewood added to the rising tension. When the last ball was bowled, Kohli dropped to the ground and punched the turf in joy.
“This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team,” he said. “I’ve dreamt of this moment for so long – to win it with RCB, not any other team. My heart is with Bangalore. My soul is with Bangalore. That’s why this is so special.”
The victory capped an incredible year for Kohli. Already crowned champion in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, the IPL was the one missing piece. The title now cements his place not just as one of India’s greatest cricketers, but as a symbol of unwavering loyalty and grit.
In the dugout, emotional scenes unfolded – Kohli hugging longtime teammates, former captain AB de Villiers wiping away tears, wife Anushka Sharma clapping with joy. “I always dreamt of winning it with them,” Kohli said, “and I stuck around even when the going was tough”.
Kohli also used the moment to highlight the importance of Test cricket. Having recently retired from the longest format, he called it the “purest” version of the game. “This is right up there with my greatest moments,” he said. “But still, five levels below Test cricket. If you want to earn respect globally, give your heart to Tests.”
Kohli ends the season as RCB’s top scorer with 657 runs and eight half-centuries. And as he heads into the twilight of his career, the legacy is clear: a leader, a fighter, and finally a champion.
