IPL 2025 results: Virat Kohli and RCB win first title after 18 years

It has been a long wait for Kohli, who played in the first IPL game for RCB in April 2008.

Then aged 19, he was bowled for one, but he would go on to hit 8,661 runs in 267 matches in the competition at an average of 39.54, with eight hundreds and 63 half-centuries.

He tasted defeat in his side’s two final appearances, losing to Chennai Super Kings in 2011 and 2016 to Sunrisers Hyderabad, while he also captained the franchise between 2013 and 2021.

Kohli has been in strong form in recent years, averaging over 50 in the past three seasons, including 54.75 in this campaign, and now gets to lift the IPL trophy after 267 matches in the competition.

The title also represents another success in the franchise coaching career of Flower, who took over RCB in 2024.

The Ashes-winning former England coach led RCB to fourth in his first season, losing in the eliminator match, before placing second this year, behind Kings on net run-rate.

His side then beat Kings in the first qualifier match to progress straight to the final, and have now repeated that feat.

It follows wins in the Pakistan Super League with Multan Sultans in 2021 and Trent Rockets in The Hundred in 2022.

Meanwhile England internationals Salt, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell will also be awarded winners medals.

Livingstone hit 25 from 15 in the final, while Bethell was playing for England in the third ODI against the West Indies during the game, having returned home for international duty.