Can RCB Finally Celebrate Their First IPL Title?

Ahmedabad, June 3 (NationPress) The Royal Challengers Bengaluru has achieved a historic milestone by securing their inaugural title in the Indian Premier League (IPL), concluding an 18-year-long wait with a thrilling six-run victory over Punjab Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.

After being restricted to 190/9 in 20 overs due to impressive bowling by Arshdeep Singh (3-40) and Kyle Jamieson (3-38), the Rajat Patidar-led team mounted a remarkable comeback with their own exceptional bowling display, limiting Punjab Kings to 184/7 in the same number of overs.

Krunal Pandya's outstanding figures of 2-17 in four overs were pivotal for RCB. Although Shashank Singh from PBKS showcased a late surge, scoring an impressive unbeaten 61 off 30 balls, it was not enough as they fell short by six runs.

This victory ended RCB's long wait for a title, earned under the leadership of first-time captain Rajat Patidar. Additionally, Virat Kohli became the first player to win the title after 18 years with a single franchise.

Punjab Kings faced a setback with the dismissal of Impact Player Prabhsimran Singh, who attempted an ambitious shot off Krunal Pandya, only to be caught easily by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. They found themselves in a precarious position at 72/3 while chasing the challenging target of 191.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer, who previously led them to victory against the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator with a stellar 87 not out, unfortunately fell for just 1 run, edging behind to Jintesh Sharma off Romanio Shepherd.

The wickets of Iyer and the dangerous Josh Inglis, who was dismissed by Pandya, significantly weakened PBKS as they struggled at 98/4.

Despite a decent start reaching 52/1, PBKS faced rapid dismissals, putting all hopes on Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh. Inglis tried to hold the innings together with a brisk 39 off 23 balls, but it wasn’t enough.

Initially, it seemed that the eight overs bowled by Krunal Pandya and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma would be crucial for PBKS. However, Pandya's extraordinary spell of 4-0-17-2 turned the tide in RCB's favor, complemented by Shepherd's critical wicket of Iyer. RCB maintained a strong grip on the match with the support of Bhuvneshwar, Hazlewood, and Yash Dayal.

Shashank Singh managed to hit Hazlewood for two sixes in a 17-run over but ultimately, PBKS was left needing 29 runs from the final six balls.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru 190/9 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 43, Rajat Patidar 26, Jitesh Sharma 24; Arshdeep Singh 3-40, Kyle Jamieson 3-48) beat Punjab Kings (Josh Inglis 39, Shashank Singh 61 not out; Krunal Pandya 2-17, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-38)