3 major factors behind RCB winning IPL 2025 title ft. Josh Hazlewood

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 came to a thrilling conclusion as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) etched their name in history by winning their maiden title. Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB edged past Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the final to seal the championship on Tuesday, June 3, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

After being put in to bat, RCB posted a competitive total of 190/9, with Virat Kohli leading the scoring with a composed 43 off 35 balls. Valuable contributions also came from Mayank Agarwal (24), Rajat Patidar (26), Liam Livingstone (25), and Jitesh Sharma (24).

In response, Punjab Kings struggled to build partnerships as RCB struck at regular intervals. Shashank Singh staged a late fightback with a brilliant unbeaten 61 off 30 deliveries, but it wasn’t enough, as PBKS fell short by six runs, finishing at 184/7.

With RCB finally ending their 18-year title drought, we take a look at the three major factors behind their IPL 2025 triumph.

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3 major factors behind RCB winning IPL 2025

#1 The impactful opening pair: Virat Kohli and Phil Salt

The opening partnership of Virat Kohli and Phil Salt was the backbone of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s triumphant IPL 2025 campaign. The duo consistently gave RCB strong starts, setting the tone in nearly every match they played. Together, they amassed 565 runs in 13 innings at an impressive average of 43.46, including six fifty-plus stands.

Kohli brought stability and experience, often anchoring the innings based on the match situation, while Salt provided the perfect counterbalance with his aggressive stroke play, putting pressure on the opposition right from the start. Their complementary styles played a crucial role in RCB’s consistent performances throughout the tournament.

Individually, both Kohli and Salt had standout seasons with the bat. Virat Kohli finished third on the Orange Cap leaderboard, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings at an impressive average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, including eight half-centuries.

Meanwhile, Phil Salt brought explosive intent to the top order, accumulating 403 runs in 13 innings at an average of 33.58 and an exceptional strike rate of 175.98, with four fifties to his name.

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#2 Josh Hazlewood at the helm of RCB’s lethal bowling core

One of the biggest strengths behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru's title-winning campaign in IPL 2025 was their balanced and effective bowling unit. The pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal formed a solid foundation, perfectly supported by the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma.

Australian pacer Hazlewood emerged as the standout performer. The experienced quick scalped 22 wickets in just 12 matches, boasting an impressive average of 17.54 and an economy of 8.77. His versatility was key—he struck with the new ball, in the middle overs, and at the death, claiming 10 wickets in the powerplay and six each in the middle and death overs.

Hazlewood’s efforts were well supported by the Indian duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and uncapped left-arm seamer Yash Dayal. Bhuvneshwar picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches, averaging 28.41 with an economy of 9.28.

He remained effective with the new ball, taking eight wickets in the powerplay, and added seven more at the death. Yash Dayal contributed 13 wickets in 15 games, maintaining an economy of 9.59, adding depth and variety to the attack.

RCB’s pace battery was complemented beautifully by their spinners. Krunal Pandya, in particular, played a pivotal role throughout the season and delivered a match-winning spell in the final, taking 2/17 in four overs to earn the Player of the Match award. Across the season, he claimed 17 wickets at an average of 22.29 and a tight economy of 8.23, with 12 wickets coming in the middle overs.

Suyash Sharma, RCB’s leg-spinner, added a crucial spin option and took eight wickets in 14 appearances, effectively supporting Krunal and rounding out RCB’s well-oiled bowling unit.

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#3 Each member of the squad stepped up at various points, playing a crucial role in the team’s journey to the title

One of the defining aspects of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 title run was how every player stepped up at various points in the tournament, turning it into a complete team effort. Whether it was Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, or Tim David, each played a vital role in RCB’s journey to glory.

Before an injury cut his season short, Padikkal contributed 247 runs in 10 matches, including two half-centuries. Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma was a standout performer in the middle order, scoring 261 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 176.35, highlighted by a sensational unbeaten 85 off just 33 balls against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Despite missing the latter stages of the tournament due to a hamstring injury, Tim David made a strong impact as a finisher. In the 12 games he played, he scored 187 runs in nine innings at a remarkable average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 185.14, including a fifty.

Captain Rajat Patidar also led by example, scoring 312 runs, which included two fifties, while Romario Shepherd delivered one of the season’s most explosive knocks—an unbeaten 53 off just 14 balls against Chennai Super Kings. Shepherd also chipped in with the ball, picking up six wickets during the campaign.

In the end, it was this collective contribution from all corners of the squad that helped RCB lift their maiden IPL trophy—truly a title built on teamwork.