Tue Jun 03 14:00:00 UTC 2025: **RCB vs. PBKS: IPL Crowns a New Champion**

**Ahmedabad, June 3, 2025** – History was made tonight as the Indian Premier League (IPL) crowned a new champion, with either the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) or the Punjab Kings (PBKS) finally claiming their maiden title after a long wait. The final took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a known Virat Kohli fan, even weighed in, expressing his support for RCB. West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who has played for both teams, was also in attendance.

**Match Highlights:**

* PBKS won the toss and elected to bowl first.
* National fervour was high during the closing ceremony, which featured a performance by Shankar Mahadevan and his sons. The ceremony honoured the Indian armed forces.
* Phil Salt got RCB off to a strong start before being dismissed.

**Team Lineups:**

* **RCB:** Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood.
* **PBKS:** Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Azmatullah Omarzai, Kyle Jamieson, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

**Key Players:**

* For RCB, Virat Kohli was expected to perform well in the high-stakes game. Kohli has won every major white-ball cricket tournament except the IPL.
* PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, fresh off a match-winning knock in the previous match, will led his team to their first IPL title.

**Road to the Final:**

* RCB had a strong season, partly due to the coaching staff of Mo Bobat, Andy Flower, and Dinesh Karthik. RCB management focused on specific roles for each player in the team, rather than purchasing players merely on reputation.
* PBKS defeated Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to reach the final.

Bengaluru was in a frenzy ahead of the final, with fans buying merchandise and arranging screenings. Restaurants and pubs in the city were also expected to have high footfall on the day.

The pitch in Ahmedabad favored batters, with the average first-innings score being 219 this season.

The IPL 2025 final was expected to be a great day for cricket, with fans of both teams hoping their team would finally lift the trophy.

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