<p>After 18 long years, Virat Kohli’s dream wearing the iconic jersey number 18 finally came true. Royal Challengers Bangalore delivered a priceless gift to millions of fans by crushing Punjab Kings in a thrilling IPL final.</p>
<p>RCB set a challenging target of 190 runs, and despite a promising start, Punjab Kings fell just 6 runs short of victory. Shashank Singh’s unbeaten 61 off 30 balls, featuring 3 fours and 6 sixes, showcased brilliant hitting but couldn’t turn the tide.</p>
<p>The match slipped away when Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for just one run. At that moment, Kohli’s intense celebration revealed the depth of his emotions – years of hard work and hope culminating in triumph.</p>
<p>As the final over approached and victory was certain, tears welled up in Kohli’s eyes, reflecting the weight of this historic achievement.</p>
<h3>Top 5 Run-Scorers – Orange Cap Leaders (IPL 2025)</h3>
<p>Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans made history by becoming the youngest player (aged 23) to score over 700 runs in a single IPL season. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians broke AB de Villiers’ long-standing record for the most runs scored by a non-opener in one season.</p>
<p>Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans) – 759 runs</p>
<p>Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians) – 717 runs</p>
<p>Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – 657 runs</p>
<p>Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans) – 650 runs</p>
<p>Mitchell Marsh (Lucknow Super Giants) – 627 runs</p>
<p><strong>Top 5 Wicket-Takers – Purple Cap Leaders (IPL 2025)</strong></p>
<p>Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans) – 25 wickets</p>
<p>Noor Ahmad (Chennai Super Kings) – 24 wickets</p>
<p>Josh Hazlewood (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) – 22 wickets</p>
<p>Trent Boult (Mumbai Indians) – 21 wickets</p>
<p>Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings) – 21 wickets</p>
<h3>RCB’s thrilling victory</h3>
<p>Chasing a daunting target of 191 runs, Punjab Kings got off to a promising start with uncapped duo Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh putting together a strong 43-run opening stand in 5 overs.</p>
<p>Priyansh’s innings ended at 24 runs when he was brilliantly caught by Josh Hazlewood off a clever delivery. The highlight was Phil Salt’s sensational catch at deep square leg – he initially took the catch but, nearing the boundary, bounced the ball back into play and completed the catch without stepping out.</p>
<p>Prabhsimran Singh scored 26 runs before falling to Krunal Pandya. Soon after, Punjab’s captain Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for just 1 run, caught by Romario Shepherd off Jitesh Sharma’s bowling, sparking wild celebrations among the Royal Challengers Bangalore supporters. Iyer, the standout performer in Qualifier-2 against Mumbai Indians, was expected to anchor the chase, but his early exit left Punjab’s hopes hanging.</p>
<p>The second wicket fell at 72 runs and the third at 79. After that, wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Despite a resilient half-century from Shashank Singh, Punjab fell agonizingly short by 6 runs, finishing at 184 for 7. The disciplined bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya, who took 2 wickets each, proved decisive in RCB’s thrilling victory.</p>
Source link
IPL 2025 Final: Top Run-Scorer & Leading Wicket-Taker Crowned
