Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Jesse Ryder lauded the franchise for winning their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy earlier this year. The former New Zealand player congratulated Virat Kohli on winning the trophy after 18 years in the tournament.Notably, Rajat Patidar-led RCB beat Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the IPL 2025 final.Jesse Ryder, who played for the Bengaluru-based franchise in 2009, said (via ANI):"I was super excited for them, you know. Congrats to the RCB boys for that.”“Yeah, well, obviously we all saw how emotional he (Virat Kohli) was about the win. Obviously, it meant a lot to him, so congrats to him for finally getting a win,” he added.Virat Kohli, who is the leading run-getter in IPL history, once again impressed with 657 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 144.71, comprising eight half-centuries.Ryder also commended Shubman Gill-led Team India for drawing the five-match Test series 2-2 against the Ben Stokes-led side on English soil. The 41-year-old said:“The young team, I guess they did pretty well. A lot of the guys scoring runs and stuff like that, so I think the future's looking pretty bright for India.”Jesse Ryder represented New Zealand in 18 Tests, 48 ODIs, and 22 T20Is from 2008 to 2014, amassing 3,088 runs across formats, including six tons and 15 half-centuries. The medium pacer also bagged 19 wickets.The left-hander played 29 IPL games, including five matches with RCB in 2009, when the franchise reached the summit clash, losing to the eventual champions, now-defunct Deccan Chargers. He amassed 604 runs and bagged eight wickets in 29 matches in the T20 tournament.“This one is for all the years of heartbreaks and disappointment” – When Virat Kohli penned an emotional post dedicated to RCB fans after IPL 2025 gloryVirat Kohli shared an adorable post expressing gratitude towards RCB fans following their IPL 2025 victory. The 36-year-old wrote on Instagram:“This team made the dream possible , a season I’ll never ever forget. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the ride over the last 2.5 months. This one is for the fans of rcb who never ever left our side in the worst of times.”“This one is for all the years of heartbreaks and disappointment. This is for every inch of effort left on the field playing for this team. As far as the ipl trophy is concerned- you’ve made me wait 18 years to be able to lift you and celebrate my friend, but it’s been absolutely worth the wait,” Kohli added. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostRetired from T20Is and Tests, Virat Kohli is next expected to be seen in action in the three-match ODI series in Australia, beginning in Perth on October 19.