New Delhi: A rollercoaster season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) concluded with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Virat Kohli ending their quest for a maiden triumph on Tuesday, June 03. RCB defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs to become the IPL 2025 champions, bringing an end to an 18-year-long wait. RCB’s memorable triumph left their biggest superstar, Kohli, teary-eyed as he failed to hide his emotions after finally lifting the elusive trophy that he gave his all to win.
RCB’s coronation meant Punjab Kings once again failed to conquer the final frontier as their wait for their maiden IPL title was extended after a shattering loss in the final. IPL 2025 also saw the decline of five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who were handed a reality check as their age-old philosophy of preferring experience over youth backfired.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians somehow managed to get into the playoffs, but once again fell short of the title. Gujarat Titans showed a lot of promise, but couldn’t convert it into success, while Sunrisers Hyderabad blew hot and cold to miss out on the playoffs. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, much like CSK, rued their auction decisions, while Rajasthan Royals’ young guns couldn’t deliver consistently enough to help them go the distance.
A recap of highs and lows from IPL 2025:
RCB and Virat Kohli’s IPL coronation
Rajat Patidar-led RCB capped off a stellar season with a commanding team display in the final against Punjab Kings to win the IPL 2025 title, ending the franchise’s 18-year-long wait for their maiden trophy. Kohli’s quest for his maiden IPL title also ended with RCB’s memorable triumph. Though he played a sluggish knock of 35-ball 43 in the final, Kohli played a key role in RCB’s title win with 657 runs in 16 matches.
Punjab Kings slip in big final
Punjab Kings witnessed a remarkable rise in IPL 2025 with skipper Shreyas Iyer leading from the front. While Iyer was exceptional as a leader, he also led the run-scoring charts for PBKS with 604 runs in the season. PBKS played some phenomenal cricket on their way to the final and were a strong contender for the title. However, they slipped in the decisive clash to miss out on their maiden title.
Mumbai Indians fall short again
Mumbai Indians once again came close, but failed to go the distance as they bowed out of IPL 2025 after losing the Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings. MI lost 4 of their first five matches at the start of the season, but bounced back to make it to the playoffs. They defeated an in-form Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator, but went down against PBKS in the Qualifier to miss out on a spot in the final. MI have not played a final since their last title triumph in 2020.
Gujarat Titans show promise, but lose steam
Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans showed promise as they dominated throughout the league stage with some impressive wins. However, they lost steam towards the business end of the season to finish third on the table before losing in the Eliminator. Captain Gill and Sai Sudharsan were the standout performers for GT with the bat, while Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj shone with the ball.
CSK’s fall from grace
Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings endured one of their worst seasons in IPL history as they finished at the bottom of the table with just 4 wins from 14 matches. CSK’s age-old philosophy of experience over youth backfired. However, with the likes of Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis doing well in the second half of the season, CSK will take some confidence when they plan a rebuild before next season.
SRH fail to fire
Sunrisers Hyderabad headed into the season with one of the most destructive batting line-ups, looking to replicate their heroics from last season. However, their star-studded batting line-up failed to deliver consistently as they missed out on the playoffs. The Pat Cummins-led side might need a few reinforcements ahead of IPL 2026.
KKR and RR fail to impress
Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals also failed to impress in IPL 2025, as both teams failed to make it to the playoffs. After letting go of their title-winning captain Shreyas Iyer, KKR struggled for stability throughout the season as the likes of Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell underperformed. Rajasthan Royals’ young guns failed to deliver consistently as the team blew hot and cold, with young Vaibhav Suryavanshi emerging as the only big positive for them.
Delhi Capitals succumb to pressure, Pant lets LSG down
Delhi Capitals started the season on a high, winning five of their first six matches. However, they succumbed to pressure towards the business end of the tournament to miss out on the playoffs. Rishabh Pant came good in LSG’s final game of the season, but let his team down with a terrible campaign with the bat as they failed to qualify for the playoffs.
From Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifting their maiden IPL title to Chennai Super Kings’ dramatic downfall, here is a look back at a rollercoaster IPL 2025. IPL Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
