Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru win first Indian Premier League title, beating Punjab Kings by six runs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and their star name Virat Kohli both earned their first Indian Premier League title by beating Punjab Kings by six runs.
Bengaluru finished runners-up in 2009, 2011 and 2016 but finally won on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium – thanks largely to Krunal Pandya’s sensational spell of 2-17 in four overs.
Kohli shed a tear as Bengaluru clinched victory to conclude the 18th season of the world’s most popular T20 tournament.
“This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It has been 18 long years,” said Kohli, who has been associated with Bengaluru since the inaugural edition in 2008.
“I have given my youth, my prime. I gave it everything I have. I never thought this day would come. I was overcome with emotion as soon as the last ball was bowled.”
Kohli top-scored for Bengaluru with 43 runs off 35 balls to help put up 190-9 in 20 overs. Punjab pacers Arshdeep Singh (3-40) and Kyle Jamieson (3-48) shared six wickets between them.
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Punjab’s reply stuttered after a good start, and despite a consolation half-century from Shashank Singh, it fell short and finished with 184-7 (20 overs).
Put into bat, Bengaluru lost Phil Salt for 16 runs. It slowed down Kohli, who hit only three fours in an uncharacteristic knock. The Indian batting star finished with 700 runs in 16 matches this season – third in the highest run-scorers list.
Kohli put on vital partnerships with Mayank Agarwal (24) and skipper Rajat Patidar (26). Their cameos kept the scorecard ticking along.
Azmatullah Omarzai got the vital wicket and sent Kohli back while Jamieson picked up his second by trapping Patidar LBW.
Jitesh Sharma then provided the acceleration, hitting two sixes and two fours to score 24 off 10 balls, while Liam Livingstone also hit two sixes in 25 off 15 balls.
From 131-4 in 14.5 overs, it was just enough to push Bengaluru past 190.
In reply, Punjab started well as Priyansh Arya (24) and Prabhsimran Singh (26) put on 43 off 30 balls.
Salt took a smart catch hopping across the boundary to send back Arya, and then Pandya struck after the powerplay.
First he sent back Prabhsimran, who was crawling despite a dropped catch earlier on.
The turning point came in the 10th over as Shreyas Iyer was caught behind for one off Romario Shepherd.
Josh Inglis scored 39 off 23 balls, including four sixes, but he holed out off Pandya in the 13th over in another body blow for the Kings’ chase.
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Thereafter, it was an uphill task for Punjab as the Bengaluru bowlers squeezed the run rate.
Shashank Singh stayed put, scoring 61 not out off 30 balls, including six sixes, but it only reduced the margin of victory.