Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured their first Indian Premier League title defeating Punjab Kings by six runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 3. The high-octane clash saw RCB clinch the win in emphatic fashion after successfully defending 190 against Shreyas Iyer and Co.Following the win, a viral, a viral moment captured attention during the trophy celebrations as captain Rajat Patidar broke tradition. The RCB skipper had earlier dedicated the iconic win to their loyal talisman Virat Kohli, who led the charge for his side with 43 runs off 34 balls. A newly surfaced video shows Patidar encouraging a hesitant Kohli to sign the camera after the victory, breaking the customary tradition of IPL-winning captains signing the camera post-final. Patidar joins an elite group of captains, becoming only the fourth after Shane Warne, Rohit Sharma, and Hardik Pandya to win the IPL trophy in their debut season as skipper.Kohli emerged as RCB’s standout performer in IPL 2025, accumulating 657 runs across 15 innings with an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, including eight half-centuries in winning causes.
The victory was particularly emotional for Kohli, who fell to his knees and covered his face as he let the tears flow after the final match, with teammates rushing to celebrate with him following Josh Hazlewood’s final delivery.“This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It has been 18 long years. I have given this team my youth, my prime and my experience, and I have tried to win this every season that I have come. I have given everything I have and to finally have this moment come, it is an unbelievable feeling,” Kohli expressed during the post-match presentation.
The celebration’s aftermath took a tragic turn when a stampede occurred outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru during the team’s victory parade, where 11 people lost their lives and several more were injured. Following the tragic incident, RCB’s marketing and revenue head Nikhil Sosale was arrested along with three members of the event management company, DNA.The incident also led to the resignation of the Karnataka State Cricket Association’s secretary and treasurer.
