We Did It For Virat Kohli And The Fans: Rajat Patidar Celebrates RCB’s First IPL Title Win

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Rajat Patidar, who captained Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) title, was overcome with emotion as he spoke after their thrilling six-run win over Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 3.

Calling it a "special" moment for the franchise, Patidar dedicated the win to RCB fans and senior teammate Virat Kohli, who has been the face of the team since 2008. "I think it is really special for me and special for Virat Kohli and all the fans who have supported us for years. They deserve it," said Patidar.

After topping the league stage and defeating Punjab Kings in the Qualifier 1, Patidar revealed that the team began to truly believe in their dream. "At that time, we thought we could do this," he said. Reflecting on the final, he felt that their total of 190 was competitive, especially given the slightly slower surface. "The way our bowlers executed the plans was tremendous to watch," he added.

While praising the bowling attack, Patidar credited Krunal Pandya's game-changing spell as the turning point of the match. "He's a wicket-taking bowler. Whenever I come under pressure, I look for KP," Patidar noted. He also applauded young spinner Suyash Sharma's consistency and hailed the fast-bowling quartet of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, and Romario Shepherd for delivering under pressure. "The way Romario came in and gave us 2-3 overs and that breakthrough was special."

Patidar said the experience of captaining a side with big names was a great learning curve for him. He credited the team management and support staff for creating a strong and unified unit.

As the celebrations erupted across the RCB fanbase, Patidar signed off with a message straight from the heart: "Ee Sala Cup Namdu!" - this time, truly theirs.