Royal Challengers Bengaluru Clinch First IPL Title in Thrilling Finale Against Punjab Kings

RCB Celebrates Historic IPL Victory

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 3: After an 18-year wait, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally celebrated their inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) title, edging out Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday. A stellar performance from Krunal Pandya, combined with impressive bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal, secured the victory.

Despite PBKS reaching their first final in over a decade under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, they fell short once again. RCB's captain Rajat Patidar lifted the trophy, marking a significant milestone for the franchise, especially for star player Virat Kohli, who finally secured his first IPL title after nearly two decades.

Shashank Singh's remarkable innings of 61 runs off 30 balls, featuring three fours and six sixes, came too late for PBKS, as he fought valiantly until the end.

In pursuit of a challenging target of 191, PBKS began strongly with Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh scoring quickly, but the loss of wickets proved costly.

After six overs, PBKS was at 52/1, with Prabhsimran and Josh Inglis at the crease. However, the pressure mounted as RCB's bowlers tightened their grip, leading to crucial wickets.

Despite a late surge from Shashank, who hit two sixes in the final over, PBKS fell short, finishing at 184/7. RCB's bowlers, particularly Krunal (2/17) and Bhuvneshwar (2/38), delivered exceptional performances.

Earlier, RCB set a competitive target of 191 runs, with notable contributions from Virat Kohli (43) and Jitesh Sharma (24). However, PBKS's bowlers, Arshdeep Singh (3/40) and Kyle Jamieson (3/48), kept RCB from reaching the 200-run mark.

In a match filled with excitement and tension, RCB's victory marks a historic moment in their franchise history.