New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bengaluru could feel the pain of Punjab Kings. Before Tuesday, the two teams were in the same boat of never winning the IPL in 17 attempts.
RCB finally broke their duck with a six-run win over PBKS in the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, thereby prolonging the frustrations of the side led by Shreyas Iyer.
RCB won their maiden IPL title in their fourth attempt in the final, while PBKS have now lost for the third time in the title round.
In his first year as skipper, Iyer led the team from the front but was dismissed for 1 in the final as PBKS were restricted to 184/7 in their 191-run target in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Understandably, Iyer was dejected but vowed to return as a more determined outfit to lift the title next year.
“Dejected to be honest but the way our boys came up to the occasion, the way we cherished, it wasn’t immaculate but lot of credit goes to the management, the support staff and each and every person who has participated and contributed.
“The way the owners supported us was also amazing. Considering the last game against MI, I personally felt that 200 was a par score. They bowled brilliantly, especially Krunal, he carries a lot of experience, he has done it over a period of time. I believe that was the turning point,” he said.
“I am very proud of each and every individual who has participated in this team. There are a lot of youngsters who are playing their first season. The fearless nature that they showed was simply phenomenal.
“I keep on saying the same thing but hats off to every individual who has been here and who has contributed, the support staff, the management. We wouldn’t be here without them, kudos to them.”
Iyer said the inexperience the young guys had from this edition would help them prepare more thoroughly in the next edition.
“The job is still half done, we have to be here and win the trophy next year. Positives, definitely the way we turned up and every individual stepping up and saying that he can win the match, there are so many youngsters in the team, I’m sure they’ve gained a lot of experience from these matches.
“I’m sure when they come next year they will carry immense experience with them. We can build some tactics and strategies around that so that we can play some decent cricket,” Iyer added.
PBKS went down to RCB by six runs in the final of IPL 2025, thereby prolonging their wait to win the premier domestic T20 trophy Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
