(Image source from: x.com/IPL)

For eighteen years, fans have held onto the hope that "ee sala cup namde" (this year the cup is ours), yet 17 of those have ended in disheartening letdowns for one of the most fervent and dedicated fanbases in the IPL. Three of those seasons saw them fall just short in the finals. However, after nearly two decades, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has finally claimed the IPL championship title. Their triumph in their fourth final came at the expense of Punjab Kings (PBKS), another team in search of its first title, which had enjoyed an inspiring IPL 2025 season. While PBKS fell short this time, they too will have their moment in the spotlight in the future.

The match showcased how much T20 cricket has evolved, with a score of 190 defeating 184 in a contest that leaned heavily in favor of the bowlers. PBKS excelled at limiting RCB to 190 runs after choosing to field first, yet RCB’s bowlers were even more impressive. Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal, all of whom have claimed IPL victories with different franchises, utilized their expertise effectively on a challenging pitch in Ahmedabad.

The game's final score reflected the intensity of the contest, with RCB winning by just six runs, indicating how evenly matched the teams were throughout the season. Shashank Singh, who finished with a rapid 61 runs off 30 balls, delivered a flurry of boundaries against Josh Hazlewood at the end of the match. However, those powerful strikes came slightly too late; PBKS entered the last over requiring 29 runs, and Hazlewood’s initial deliveries all but sealed their fate mathematically.

Much of the attention was on the player wearing number 18, Virat Kohli. Similar to his performance in last year's T20 World Cup final, his innings of 43 in this match sometimes felt reminiscent of a bygone era, seeming overly cautious and potentially setting a subpar score for his team. Nonetheless, throughout his innings, there were indications that the surface differed from what Ahmedabad usually offered, where the lowest first-innings total had been 196 in the last eight games. Kohli particularly struggled to find power with his pull shot, as the PBKS bowlers produced bounce akin to that of a tennis ball when pitching the ball into the ground. Considering the target of 191, it appeared inadequate for a PBKS lineup capable of chasing down 204 with an over remaining just two days earlier at the same venue. However, this pitch proved to be distinct, maintaining its challenge in the second innings.

Two of PBKS's emerging batting stars surpassed Kohli’s challenges: while Kohli scored 43 off 35 balls, Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera together managed 41 runs off 40 balls. Krunal, who has previously won three IPL titles with the Mumbai Indians, had been named Player of the Match in one of those victories for his batting contributions. However, in this instance, he came to bat in the 18th over and ended up scoring just 4 runs off 5 balls.

In this instance, he altered the outcome of the match with his bowling performance. When he entered the game, the final was hanging in balance. PBKS had achieved a score of 52 for 1 by the conclusion of their powerplay, while RCB had a slightly better 55 for 1 at the same point. Krunal's opening over showcased the key elements that made him difficult to hit on this particular pitch, which offered just the right amount of natural pace variation and turn. He bowled swiftly and effectively into the pitch, either directing the ball towards the leg stump of right-handed batsmen, limiting their scoring opportunities, or sending it wide of the off stump, which allowed a single to the sweeper cover that they were hesitant to take. This over yielded only three runs.

In his following over, he introduced a new facet to his game: the knack for detecting a batsman's intentions and adjusting his speed at the last second. Noticing Prabhsimran, who was struggling, advance towards him, Krunal, whose normal delivery speed ranges from 98 to 101 kph, threw an 80kph ball beyond his sight. Thrown off balance, Prabhsimran misplayed it and ended up giving a catch to point. Rewinding to November 19, 2023, Shreyas Iyer was in explosive form during the ODI World Cup and had played a pivotal role in India's semi-final victory. However, in the final, he had succumbed early, getting caught behind off a back-of-a-length ball.

Now, a similar scenario unfolded. Instead of confidently facing Pat Cummins like he had attempted two years prior, he offered a top edge while trying to slash through point, this time off Romario Shepherd's delivery. This moment became a crucial turning point in the match, leaving PBKS needing to chase down 112 runs from the remaining 62 balls. Despite this setback, they were still in a competitive position thanks to their batting strength and the exceptional performance of Josh Inglis. On a pitch where the shorter balls did not come onto the bat with reliable pace or trajectory, he was effortlessly executing pulls. He managed to score 33 runs from 10 pull shots against both pace and spin, which included one four and four sixes.

However, at a score of 39, he attempted to step out and hit Krunal over long-on but fell short on both power and height. At this juncture, with PBKS now needing 93 runs from 47 balls, the situation appeared bleak. Shashank began his season on the same pitch, making a significant impact by hitting five fours in a memorable final over, leaving his captain stranded on 97 without facing a delivery. He showcased another round of skill, keeping PBKS in the game as their required run rate continued to escalate. In the 16th over, he launched Hazlewood for two sixes, narrowing the target to 55 runs needed off 24 balls. As other PBKS batsmen and allrounders returned to the pavilion, he opted to decline singles, maintaining the strike throughout the 19th over, where he struck Bhuvneshwar for a six and a four, reducing the final requirement to 29 runs from the last six deliveries.

Although he ultimately fell short, the powerful finish demonstrated how much closer PBKS might have been if circumstances had varied slightly. During most of RCB’s batting innings, it was challenging to determine if they were going too slowly on a pitch that appeared flat or if they were constructing a solid foundation on a slower surface. While Kohli played steadily from one end, his top-order partners kept getting dismissed just as they began to look threatening, with Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, and Liam Livingstone contributing 66 runs off 43 balls collectively. Each of them was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson, who effectively employed a slower legcutter, causing the ball to either die on the batter when bowled short or dip unexpectedly when he delivered it full.

Jamieson, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Vijaykumar Vyshak consistently targeted a hard length, making it difficult for RCB to respond until Jitesh Sharma arrived at the crease. Scoring 24 runs off just 10 balls, his brief but impactful innings included a flat-batted six over cover after clearing his stumps for space and a scooped six over his head while facing the bowler, Jamieson, with his chest turned towards him.

Jitesh's performance seemed poised to propel RCB past the 200-run mark. However, Vyshak curtailed those aspirations by removing Jitesh for just five runs in the 18th over, and Arshdeep Singh found his reverse swing in the final over, executing a three-wicket haul that cost PBKS merely five runs.