The 36-year-old’s dream to lift the highly coveted trophy came true when his team triumphed over Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs in a thrilling final match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

Kohli, during the post-match conversation with the former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden, revealed that he didn’t want to see himself as an impact player in the upcoming editions of the IPL.

He hinted to his fans that he would continue participating in the league in a unique way by revealing his plans and experiences.

Kohli’s Opinion on Playing as an Impact Player in the Upcoming IPL Seasons

As Virat Kohli wanted to give his best till the completion phase of his career, he wanted to be involved throughout the match and has the fitness to tackle challenges. The RCB’s opening batsman is clear with his stance as he refrained from seeing himself as an impact player. Here is what the veteran cricketer said:

“See! There is a valuable chance for me to play this game, perhaps not for many years. As a cricketer, there is a completion date to our career. And by the time I call it a day, I prefer to stay at home and declare that I have given my best.

So, I am keen to find new ways to improve my skills. I cannot limit myself as an impact player. Rather, I want to give my presence on the field for 20 overs and create an impact with my fielding skills. This is the kind of player I have been for several years. And with God’s blessings, I have that talent, and you need to find unique ways to make noteworthy contributions for your team,�?Kohli said.

Kohli About His Journey With RCB: ‘I Have Given My Best to the Team in All Seasons�?/h3>

Having played for only one team in all 18 seasons, Virat Kohli gave an emotional speech on RCB’s success to achieve the maiden championship title:

“Yes! This victory belongs to fans as much as our team deserves it. Although it has been 18 long years, I have given my best, my youthful days, my strengths, and my experience. I tried my best to give everything I have in every season I come. This is one such moment that is an unbelievable feeling.

Never thought this day would come, as I was overwhelmed with emotion after the last ball was bowled. This triumph for RCB means so much to me. To this team, I have given every drop of energy, and winning this IPL trophy is an incredible feeling.

I stayed loyal to this team for the past 18 years, irrespective of this result. There were moments when I thought of alternatives, but I decided to remain dedicated to this team. As I always dreamed of winning the trophy, my team and I have supported each other,�?Virat said.

Did Virat Kohli Mock Rohit Sharma Speaking About the Impact Player Rule?

Although several fans were happy about Virat Kohli’s statement, a few of them believed that he indirectly mocked the former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma, who is one of the high-profile cricketers in IPL 2025.

In reality, Kohli’s statement points out his desire to play actively in every aspect of the game. But social media has instantly made a comparison with Rohit, who is indeed the league’s second-highest run scorer.

Despite leading MI to five title wins and boasting huge leadership experience, the 38-year-old was most often been used as an impact player by the franchise, particularly in the recently concluded season.

Hitman was spotted on the field for MI occasionally. But for most of his team’s fielding innings, he watched the game’s progress from the dugout.

However, India’s ODI captain still received support from a certain set of fans, saying that the MI management forced him to play as an impact player. Also, he was substituted even at the Wankhede Stadium that has a stand with his name to honor his remarkable achievements.

Virat Kohli’s 18 Years of IPL Career with RCB

Ranked as the IPL’s leading run-scorer, Virat Kohli is the only player who have scored 9,000+ for any T20 team, which is none other than RCB. He represented the single franchise for 18 years and this shows his loyalty and dedication is unmatched.

Virat’s illustrious IPL career boasts a staggering 8,861 runs in 267 matches at an average of 39.55 and a strike rate of 132.86, including 8 hundreds and 63 fifties.  Especially, in IPL 2025, Kohli was the third-highest run getter and leading run scorer for his team, having scored 657 runs in 15 innings, averaging at 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, which includes 8 half-centuries to his name.

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On June 03 (Tuesday), the Rajat Patidar-led team achieved a tremendous victory over the Punjab Kings by 6 runs to end their title drought that has haunted the franchise for the past 17 years since the inaugural season in 2008.

PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer invited RCB to bat first at the Narendra Modi Stadium, hoping to once again chase a high-scoring target and turn back the clock to their recent success in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians at the same venue.

However, the RCB bowlers deserve credit for bringing their team back to dominance after a lackluster batting performance.

Despite restricting Bengaluru below 200, Punjab failed to accomplish the required target. Also, Shashank Singh’s late explosion of 30-ball-61 runs that included 3 fours and 6 sixes couldn’t guide his team to victory.

As the 18th season wraps up on an emotional note, let’s have a short glimpse of the IPL 2025 final performances and find out the award winners, prize money, and noteworthy stats from the tournament.

A Brief Highlights of IPL 2025 Final: RCB vs PBKS

• Toss Winning Team: Punjab Kings (Opted to Bowl First After Winning the Toss)
  
• 1st Innings Total (Royal Challengers Bengaluru): 190/9 in 20 overs.
  
• 2nd Innings Total (Punjab Kings): 184/7 in 20 overs.
  
• IPL 2025 Final Winner: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
  
• Winning Margin: 6 Runs
  
• RCB Top Performing Batsman in IPL 2025 Final:
  • Virat Kohli: 43 Runs out of 35 Balls�?3 fours.
    
• PBKS Top Performing Batsman in IPL 2025 Final:
  • Shashank Singh: 61 runs (not out) out of 30 balls�?3 fours and 6 sixes.
    
• PBKS Top Performing Bowler in IPL 2025 Final:
  • Arshdeep Singh: 3/40 (4 overs).
  • Kyle Jamieson: 3/48 (4 overs).
    
• RCB Top Performing Bowler in IPL 2025 Final:
  • Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 2/38 (4 overs).
  • Krunal Pandya: 2/17 (4 overs).

IPL 2025 Prize Money: Champions, Runner-up, and Playoff Losers

As expected, the champions of the IPL 2025 final took home a whopping amount of INR 20 crore, and here is the detailed list of the prize money granted to the four playoff teams:

IPL 2025 Award Winners: Orange Cap, Purple Cap, MVP, EP, and So on�?/h2>

Let’s take a look at the individual award winners, such as the Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Most Valuable Player (MVP), Emerging Player (EP), and many more listed below in a tabular form:

Award Winner	Player	Team	Prize Money (INR)
Orange Cap	Sai Sudharsan	Gujarat Titans	10 Lakhs
Purple Cap	Prasidh Krishna	Gujarat Titans	10 Lakhs
Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Season	Suryakumar Yadav	Mumbai Indians	INR 15 Lakhs
Emerging Player of the Season	Sai Sudharsan	Gujarat Titans	INR 10 Lakhs
Best Strike Rate in the Season	Vaibhav Suryavanshi	Rajasthan Royals	10 Lakhs
Most Fantasy Points in IPL 2025	Sai Sudharsan	Gujarat Titans	10 Lakhs
Most Sixes in a Season	Nicholas Pooran	Lucknow Super Giants	10 Lakhs
Most Fours in a Season	Sai Sudharsan	Gujarat Titans	10 Lakhs
Maximum Dot Balls Bowled in a Season	Mohammed Siraj	Gujarat Titans	10 Lakhs

Notable Stats from IPL 2025 Season: Batting and Bowling Performances

The following table is the list of standout performers of the IPL 2025 in terms of batting and bowling, and here are the detailed stats:

Batting Performances:

Bowling Performances:

Conclusion

The 18th season of IPL 2025 concludes on an emotional note with RCB winning their first trophy for Virat Kohli, who is the only cricketer in the league’s history to play for a single franchise since the first edition in 2008.

Overall, Bengaluru’s 6-run victory is the second joint-narrowest win in IPL playoffs, as Mumbai Indians previously triumphed over the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) by 1 run back in IPL 2017 final.

The post IPL 2025 Final: RCB Claims Maiden Title in Season 18! Award Winners & Prize Money appeared first on Crickex.

Punjab, having lost to Bengaluru in Qualifier 1, made use of their second opportunity to gain entry into their second IPL final after 11 years.

Following a 5-wicket victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Qualifier 2, Shreyas Iyer and his men are keen to make use of the upcoming payback match to clinch their maiden championship title.

On the other side, it took 9 years for RCB to advance into their fourth IPL final since 2016, and they would aim to end their 17-year title drought under Rajat Patidar’s captaincy.

As the stakes are set high for the intense clash, let’s predict the champions of IPL 2025 by delving deeper into this preview to find the head-to-head stats, weather, and pitch reports, possible playing XI combination, and impact subs options.

Bengaluru vs Punjab IPL 2025 Match Details

Head-to-Head Stats of RCB vs PBKS In IPL: Overall Records and At Narendra Modi Stadium

Both RCB and PBKS have won 18 matches against each other out of 36 occasions, and here are the head-to-head stats:

Overall Records:

At Narendra Modi Stadium: 

Individual Performances of RCB and PBKS at Narendra Modi Stadium

The following table is a brief comparison of the individual performances of RCB and PBKS at the Narendra Modi Stadium:

RCB Performance at Narendra Modi Stadium:

PBKS Performance at Narendra Modi Stadium:

Ahmedabad Weather Forecast: Latest Reports for IPL 2025 Final 

The latest weather forecast reports reveal slight chances of rain to cause interruptions during the final match of IPL 2025 between RCB and PBKS:

• Temperature: 29 °C to 31 °C
• Wind Speed: 19 km/hr
• Humidity: 58%
• Cloud Cover: 43%
• Rainfall Chances: 50% to 60%
• Dew Point: 22°

What if the IPL 2025 Final is Washed Out Due to rain? Will There Be a Reserve Day?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t allocated a reserve day for the IPL 2025 final. Rather, an additional time of 120 minutes will be provided. Suppose the match is washed out due to severe rains, then PBKS would be declared the champions of IPL 2025, having finished in the top position of the points table.

Narendra Modi Stadium Pitch Report and Toss Factor for IPL 2025 Final: RCB vs PBKS

The batting-friendly pitches at the Narendra Modi Stadium promise to entertain fans with another 200+ run score contests. Out of 8 matches played in the current season, 6 of them were won by the teams that batted first at this venue. As a result, RCB captain Rajat Patidar is expected to bat first at this venue.

In contrast, the PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer might once again prefer bowling first, given his team’s recent success in Qualifier 2 at the same venue.

RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 Final Playing XI Combination and Impact Subs Options

Experts predicted that the playing XI combination of both RCB and PBKS might remain unchanged, given their success in the previous matches:

RCB’s Expected Playing XI for IPL 2025 Final:

RCB’s Impact Player Options for IPL 2025 Final:

PBKS Expected Playing XI for IPL 2025 Final:

PBKS Impact Player Options for IPL 2025 Final:

Winner Prediction of IPL 2025 Final: Royal Challengers Bengaluru or Punjab Kings?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings are favorites to win the IPL 2025 trophy. However, fans hope that rain wouldn’t play a spoilsport in RCB’s 18th season campaign as there isn’t any reserve day for the grand finale. In conclusion, the team boasting a strong and in-depth batting line-up is certain to win their maiden championship title.

The post Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings IPL 2025 Final Match Preview & Winner Prediction appeared first on Crickex.

PBKS, despite losing their previous game to RCB in Qualifier 1, still gets another chance to compete against the winner of the Eliminator (Mumbai Indians). Also, this is the second time in this season that the Kings will compete against the five-time champions.

On the other side, the Hardik-Pandya-led side aims for their sixth IPL title and are desperate to secure a spot in the grand finale.

Ahead of the epic clash, let’s delve deeper into this preview to find out the head-to-head stats of PBKS vs MI, weather forecast, pitch report, predicted playing XI, and impact player options. These details help to easily determine which team can gain entry into the IPL 2025 final.

Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 Match Details

Performance of PBKS and MI in IPL 2025 Playoffs

Head-to-Head Stats of PBKS vs MI: Overall Records and in IPL Playoffs

MI holds a slight domination over PBKS by winning 17 out of 33 matches, and here are the head-to-head stats:

Total Records:

IPL Playoffs:

For the first time in IPL playoffs history, PBKS and MI will face off against each other.

Ahmedabad Weather Forecast Reports for PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 Match

The match between PBKS and MI will be played in clear and breezy conditions as there is no chance of rainfall in Ahmedabad.

Narendra Modi Stadium Pitch Conditions for PBKS vs MI Qualifier 2 Match

The pitches at Narendra Modi Stadium have most often favored the teams that batted first to post mammoth totals.

In this season, only one out of the 7 matches was won by the chasing side. As a result, the toss-winning captain of the PBKS vs MI clash will certainly choose to bat first and post a highly competitive total to make the opponent team’s run chase tougher in a high-pressure game.

Expected Playing XI and Impact Subs for PBKS vs MI IPL 2025 Qualifier 2

PBKS and MI can form their best playing XI combination for Qualifier 2 in the following ways:

PBKS Possible Playing XI in Qualifier 2:

PBKS Impact Player Options vs MI in Qualifier 2:

MI Possible Playing XI in Qualifier 2:

MI Impact Player Options vs PBKS in Qualifier 2:

Winner Prediction of IPL 2025 Qualifier 2: Punjab Kings or Mumbai Indians?

Both Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians have higher chances of winning given their stronger batting line-up. However, the bowling line-up of these two teams will be tested on a batter-friendly track which makes this rivalry much more challenging.

In conclusion, the team that shows its intent in terms of batting and bowling is certain to win the Qualifier 2 round of the IPL 2025. 

The post Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Qualifier 2 IPL 2025 Match Preview & Winner Prediction appeared first on Crickex.

The winner of the eliminator round will qualify for Qualifier 2 to face off against the loser of Qualifier 1. In other words, the winner of the Qualifier 2 round will gain an entry in the grand finale. However, the loser of the eliminator will directly face an exit from the tournament.

Most importantly, these two teams face a huge blow by missing out on certain key overseas players. Despite signing temporary replacements, implementing changes in the playing XI combination during the crucial stages of the tournament would certainly impact their success rate.

Let’s take a look at the head-to-head records of GT vs MI, weather forecast, pitch reports, predicted playing XI combination, and impact player options to determine which team can progress into the Qualifier 2 round.

Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians IPL 2025 Eliminator Match Details

IPL 2025 Performance Analysis: GT and MI in Group Stages and Rankings in Points Table

Head-to-Head Stats of GT vs MI: Overall Records and In IPL Playoffs

GT holds a massive domination over MI by winning 5 out of 7 matches since their debut season in 2022, and here are the head-to-head stats:

Overall Records (From 2022 to Present):

IPL Playoffs:

For the second time in IPL history, GT and MI will face off against each other in the playoffs. In the previous instance, Gujarat triumphed over Mumbai by 62 runs in the Qualifier 2 round at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Here is the recap of how the Gujarat Titans performed against the Mumbai Indians in their previous playoff clash:

Mullanpur Weather Forecast Reports for GT vs MI IPL 2025 Eliminator

The latest weather forecast report suggests that the eliminator match between GT and MI in Mullanpur will be played under a cloudy sky with no chances of rain to cause interruptions:

• Temperature: 30 °C to 33 °C
• Wind Speed: 11 km/ hr
• Humidity: 38%
• Cloud Cover: 68%
• Rainfall Chances: 1%
• Dew Point: 16°

PCA Stadium, Mullanpur Pitch Report: IPL 2025 Eliminator, Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians

The recent pitch conditions at the PCA stadium have often favored teams batting first. Mainly, during the second innings, the chasing teams frequently struggled to accomplish the required target. This is because of the lack of dew factor, the surface tends to become sluggish in the second half of the game.

The toss-winning captain of the Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians match will certainly decide to bat first and post a competitive total between 180 and 200 or even more.

Possible Playing XI and Impact Player Options for GT and MI in IPL 2025 Eliminator

GT and MI are certain to make a few changes in their playing to fill the void left by their key overseas players ahead of the Eliminator round:

GT Predicted Playing XI in IPL 2025 Eliminator:

GT Impact Subs Options vs MI in IPL 2025 Eliminator:

MI Predicted Playing XI in IPL 2025 Eliminator:

MI Predicted Impact Subs Options vs GT in IPL 2025:

IPL 2025 Eliminator Winner Prediction: Gujarat Titans or Mumbai Indians?

Gujarat Titans are the favorites to win the IPL 2025 eliminator round, given their head-to-head stats and previous records against the Mumbai Indians.

Notably, MI hasn’t won a single game against any of the teams that are qualified for the playoffs. Also, the five-time champions lost their two matches to GT in this season. In conclusion, the team that comes up with a strong batting line-up would certainly help to accumulate runs instantly on a sluggish pitch at the PCA stadium and triumph in the forthcoming crucial clash.

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