Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have reached the IPL final for the first time in nine years, and fans are hoping they can sign off with their maiden trophy against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday (June 3) in Ahmedabad.

Also read: IPL 2025 final: Kohli is going to play a big hand, says AB de Villiers

The Rajat Patidar-led RCB are in an IPL final for the fourth time, and the last time they reached the title round was in 2016. Virat Kohli is the only RCB player to have featured in the team’s all three previous IPL finals (2009, 2011, 2016). He is the only player in IPL history to have played for a single franchise for all 18 years.

Mayank Agarwal, who was signed up as an injury replacement for Devdutt Padikkal in the current squad, played in the IPL 2011 final.

Also read: RCB in IPL final: How Bobat, Flower, Karthik changed Bengaluru’s auction dynamics

This time, they finished in the top two of the IPL 2025 standings and played Qualifier 1 and there, they registered a thumping eight-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur on Thursday, May 29.

Reactions on reaching final

RCB’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, explained the challenges faced by the team in IPL 2025 and how important it is now to win the game that “matters most”.

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“We’re proud of the way we’ve played throughout the season. The way the group has taken on challenges – with bravery, composure and aggressive intent, reflects the collective character we’ve built through the season. We’ve ticked off a few important milestones on the way here, but this is obviously the one that matters most,” said Bobat.

“We have many match winners and it’s been great to see everyone contributing. After a long and gruelling league phase, the playoffs are a time to really trust in and enjoy your cricket. The final will be a great occasion, especially for our fans, and the players are very focused and determined to finish the job,” he added.

How have the players performed?

Through the course of the IPL 2025, RCB have been nothing short of formidable. En route to Qualifier 1, RCB rewrote the history books as they became the first team in the IPL to win all their designated away matches in the league stage.

And while Patidar’s captaincy has been good, former skipper Kohli has chipped in with more than 600 runs and eight half-centuries, which is the most by any batter this season. In fact, whenever Kohli scored fifty while RCB batted second this season, they never lost the game. IPL 2025 is also the fifth time that Kohli has scored more than 600 runs in a season.

Kohli setting the standards isn’t new in the sport; however, what’s stood out for RCB is the kind of support he has had from the others. Nine other batters have registered half-centuries through the season, with the likes of Tim David, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Devdutt Padikkal, and captain Patidar, to name a few, playing important roles for the team.

Amongst the bowlers, five have bagged more than eight wickets in the tournament so far, with Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets) leading the charge. Krunal Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have picked 15 wickets each, while the dynamic leg-break bowler Suyash Sharma has eight scalps of his own. South African Lungi Ngidi, Romario Shepherd, and even Liam Livingstone has stepped up with important wickets.

These scintillating performances have not only propelled RCB to the final of IPL 2025, but have also seen them rewrite the history books with nine different players winning the Player of the Match awards.

RCB’s achievements in IPL 2025

When such talented cricketers come together and are in the form of their lives, it can only of course, help the team produce memorable moments. For RCB, IPL 2025 has been even better because they have managed to get the better of their arch-rivals, in a manner like never before.

IPL 2025 is the first time RCB completed the league double over CSK, defeating them both at home and away. In fact, the win at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, was the first in 17 years

One of the best days for RCB this season came at the Wankhede when Kohli, Patidar, and Jitesh Sharma batted the Mumbai Indians out of the game to register a first win at the stadium in 10 years

RCB had to wait for six years before they could defeat KKR at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata

In Kohli’s backyard, in New Delhi, RCB won handsomely against Delhi Capitals, breaking a seven-year jinx

In the final league game of IPL 2025, RCB were at it again, as they used brute power to storm past the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), chasing down 228 with more than an over to spare. It was the second-highest successful chase this season, and it also put RCB in second spot on the points table

Individual milestones in IPL 2025 for RCB

RCB defeated Punjab Kings with 60 deliveries to spare in Qualifier 1 of IPL playoffs. The biggest such win for any team in an IPL playoff (or knockout) match

Jitesh Sharma’s 85 not out off 33 balls against LSG is the highest score by a batter at No 6 or lower in IPL history

The 107-run stand between Jitesh and Mayank Agarwal was the highest for RCB for the 5th wicket or lower in a run-chase, going past 91 between AB de Villiers and Iqbal Abdullah against Gujarat Lions in 2016 Qualifier 1

Phil Salt is the third quickest to 1,000 IPL runs in the history of the tournament, having completed it in 576 balls. Only two batters have got to the 1000-run milestone quicker – Andre Russell (545 balls) and Travis Head (575)

RCB’s standings in IPL 2025 table

Second: Played 14 matches, Won 9, Lost 4, No Result 1, Points 19

RCB stats in IPL 2025 (Till the final)

Most runs: Virat Kohli (614 runs in 14 innings; Highest score: 73 not out; 8 fifties; Strike rate: 146.53)

Most wickets: Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets in 11 innings; Best: 4/33; Average: 15.80; Economy: 8.30; Strike rate: 11.42)

Most sixes: Phil Salt (21 in 12 innings); Kohli (19 in 14 innings); Jitesh Sharma (15 in 10 innings)

RCB’s key players in IPL 2025

Phil salt, Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

RCB’s road to IPL 2025 final

Match 1 – KKR vs RCB – RCB won by 7 wickets

Match 2 – CSK vs RCB – RCB won by 50 runs

Match 3 – RCB vs GT – GT won by 8 wickets

Match 4 – MI vs RCB – RCB won by 12 runs

Match 5 – RCB vs DC – DC won by 6 wickets

Match 6 – RR vs RCB – RCB won by 9 wickets

Match 7 – RCB vs PBKS – PBKS won by 5 wickets

Match 8 – PBKS vs RCB – RCB won by 7 wickets

Match 9 – RCB vs RR – RCB won by 11 runs

Match 10 – DC vs RCB – RCB won by 6 wickets

Match 11 – RCB vs CSK – RCB won by 2 runs

Match 12 – RCB vs KKR – washed out

Match 13 – RCB vs SRH – SRH won by 42 runs

Match 14 – LSG vs RCB – RCB won by 6 wickets

Qualifier 1 – PBKS vs RCB – RCB won by 8 wickets

RCB’s results in their previous 3 IPL finals

2009 – Lost to Deccan Chargers (DC) by 6 runs (Johannesburg)

2011 – Lost to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 58 runs (Chennai)

2016 – Lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 8 runs (Bengaluru)

RCB’s squad in IPL 2025

Virat kohli, rajat Patidar (Captain), Swastik Chikara, Jitesh Sharma, Phil Salt, Manoj Bhandage, Tim David, Krun Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushra, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Mohit Rathee, Abhinandan Singal, Mayank AGarabani, Blessing Muzarabani, Tim Seifert.