RCB’s Title-Winning Titans: Celebrating the Top Performers of Their Historic IPL 2025 Triumph

By Shah Faisal 

A Glorious Beginning 

For years, Royal Challengers Bangalore had flirted with promise, only to be undone at the altar of expectation. But IPL Season 18 changed everything. With a blend of youthful courage, tactical excellence, and individual brilliance, RCB stormed to their first-ever IPL title, ending an 18-year drought and igniting celebrations across Bengaluru and beyond. At the heart of this historic march were a band of standout performers who rewrote narratives, shattered old doubts, and lifted the franchise to unprecedented glory. 

Here’s a glorious roll call of RCB’s brightest stars from their iconic 2025 campaign. 

1. Virat Kohli – The Eternal Flame 

14 matches | 657 runs | 8 fifties | SR ~152 | Avg in chases: 88.50 

Virat Kohli turned back the clock and then shattered it. With eight half-centuries, all in RCB wins, he became the pulsating heart of this title-winning team. No longer just the anchor, Kohli was a storm at the top — fierce, free-flowing, and unrelenting. His strike rate mirrored the legendary 2016 season, and his ability to rise in run chases was unmatched. In what may well be remembered as a rebirth, Kohli led from the front with bat in hand and fire in his soul. 

2. Josh Hazlewood – The Ice-Cold Executioner 

11 matches | 22 wickets | 8.77 

Despite nursing a shoulder niggle that had fans worried, Hazlewood returned with vengeance. His powerplay scalps against PBKS and a match-defining death spell against RR — where he gave away just one run defending 17 in two overs — were the stuff of IPL folklore. With 22 wickets, he was RCB’s pace spearhead, delivering at the death with chilling precision. He also powered his team to the final with his emphatic bowling display in qualifier one. 

3. Rajat Patidar – The Architect-Captain 

14 matches | 312 runs | SR 144.28 

Thrust into leadership, Rajat Patidar blossomed as a captain and batter. His twin half-centuries early in the campaign, including a landmark 64 off 32 against MI, broke old jinxes and forged new legacies. With clever field placements and fearless batting, Patidar's tactical nous stood tall. He also forced top sides like CSK and MI to rethink spin strategies, proving he was more than ready for the big stage. 

4. Phil Salt – The Powerplay Pyromaniac 

12 matches | 403 runs | SR 175.98 | 4 fifties 

Stepping into Faf du Plessis' shoes was no easy task, but Phil Salt ignited the powerplays with blistering aggression. His takedown of Starc for 24 in an over set the tone, and his chemistry with Kohli formed one of the tournament’s most explosive opening pairs. With four fifties and a penchant for sixes — joint second in powerplay sixes this season — Salt was both sledgehammer and spark. It was unfortunate that he failed to reproduce what he had been producing all season. 

5. Jitesh Sharma – The Game-Changing Finisher 

14 matches | 237 runs | SR 171.73 | 20 dismissals 

Jitesh wasn’t just RCB’s wicketkeeper — he was the X-factor. His 85 off 33 vs LSG*, coming at No. 6, ranks among the IPL's greatest lower-order knocks. Earlier, his 40* against MI turned the tide late in the innings. Reliable behind the stumps with 19 dismissals and unflappable under pressure, including a brief captaincy stint, Jitesh was RCB’s dependable dynamo. 

6. Krunal Pandya – The Silent Enforcer 

15 matches | 17 wickets | Econ 8.23 | 105 runs 

Krunal Pandya brought fire and flair to the spin department. His spell in the final (2/17) choked PBKS at the death. A wizard with trajectory, bounce, and game awareness, Krunal thrived against left-handers and even sealed a thriller against MI with a triple-wicket final over. Add a vital fifty against DC — his first since 2016 — and Krunal proved indispensable. 

7. Suyash Sharma – The Spin Rebel 

14 matches | 8 wickets | Econ 8.84 

Back from hernia surgery, Suyash Sharma reintroduced himself as a game-changer. His 3 for 17 in Qualifier 1, and a tense six-run 18th over vs CSK underlined his clutch credentials. While not topping charts, his wrong’uns turned matches, forming a gutsy partnership with Krunal. RCB’s belief in him — even sponsoring his surgery — was richly rewarded. 

RCB’s Redemption, Sealed in Fire 

This was not just a title; it was redemption, rebirth, and revolution. From Kohli’s resurgence to Salt’s fire, from Hazlewood’s death-over venom to Jitesh’s finishing heroics, RCB finally built a team that didn’t just dream — it delivered. 

Eighteen years of heartbreak ended because of these men. Champions aren’t born. They are forged in pressure, in adversity, and in belief. And now, RCB stands tall as IPL 2025 Champions — led by a band of giants. Surely, this IPL trophy is the sweetest of all, which has been won by champions over the past 18 years.