• Source:JND
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The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025), a season filled with drama, unprecedented challenges, and exhilarating cricket, concluded on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally conquering their final frontier and lifting their maiden IPL trophy. The journey, spanning from late March to early June, saw 74 matches played over as many days, ultimately culminating in a sweet triumph for RCB and leaving the other nine franchises with a lot to reflect on for the 2026 edition.

Virat Kohli's Gets His Due As RCB Wins IPL 2025

The superstar failed to get going in the big final as his conservative 35-ball 43 with only three fours left RCB wanting. Luck seemed to be deserting Kohli's men as none of them could convert starts.

But if, at the halfway mark, Punjab looked ahead, everything fell in place for RCB in final analysis. RCB put together an impeccable squad in the mega auction and fired in unison one last time this year to deliver a win which will be remembered for a long time.

Punjab Kings Meteoric Rise:

Shreyas Iyer's (604 runs with six 50s, average 50.33) performances in the last one year or so have been screaming out loud that there is more to him than what is perceived both as a batter and a leader. It was no surprise to see that he was the anchor of the perennial strugglers' remarkable turnaround.

With a determined Iyer and hard-nosed head coach in Australian Ricky Ponting at the helm, Punjab's young squad marched into the final as a worthy challenger. A title win was not meant to be, but Punjab ensured they will now be considered among title challengers in the IPL.

Mumbai Indians Falter 'Unfortunately':

Fifth in 2021, 10th in 2022, 4th in 2023, 10th in 2024 and 4th in 2025 on the points table: IPL's perennial slow-starters have blown hot and cold since winning a fifth title in 2020.

Four defeats in first five games marked yet another typical Mumbai Indians' start, but Hardik Pandya's men came back roaring to win the next six matches. Suryakumar Yadav (717 runs) crossed the 700-run mark for the first time for a MI batter.

Gujarat Titans Fail To Perform Despite Individual Brilliance

Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler and Prasidh Krishna shone brightest as Titans dominated the league stage but lost steam towards the business end. A top-two finish looked a mere formality but the Titans ended third in the league round and were humbled by MI in the Eliminator.

Rajasthan Royals' Bright Future Prospects:

RR's Vaibhav Suryavanshi was a 13-year-old when he was picked in the mega auction and at 14 in May, he became the youngest ever to score the fastest IPL ton for an Indian off 35 balls and second fastest ever, against Gujarat Titans.

While Abhishek Sharma was also among those who hit centuries, it also included Punjab Kings' uncapped Priyansh Arya, who took apart a lowly CSK with his maiden IPL ton. Prabhsimran Singh also showed he has got the goods while Ayush Mhatre gave CSK some reasons to smile.

SRH Go Haywire:

Last year's runner-up SRH came in with one of the most intimidating batting line-ups but the all-out attack approach fell flat on its face. SRH began with the second highest total ever of 286/6 against RR and ended with the third highest, of 278/3 against KKR. In between, it looked like SRH never had a Plan B with the bat.

CSK's 'Oldschool' Formula Backfires

Change is the only constant goes the old adage and CSK learnt it the hard way. CSK parted ways with its philosophy of keeping young talent on bench but it was too little too late as Dhoni's men found themselves out of contention pretty early in the league.

At the top, the 17-year-old Mhatre thrived while Proteas' Dewald Brevis dazzled towards the end. The 20-year-old Afghan Noor Ahmad emerged as the most successful among CSK spinners which included R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

RR and KKR's forgettable season:

From sweating on Sanju Samson's fitness and form to lack of gumption shown by others, RR endured a forgettable season to finish second last ahead of CSK. Parting ways with key players including Jos Buttler, Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult disturbed their balance.

For KKR, skipper Ajinkya Rahane waged a lone battle but the season was poor for the franchise's costliest player and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer. KKR lost more than they won halfway through the league round, and bowed out without much fight.

High-Flying DC Nosedive:

The Capitals began looking like they wouldn't put a foot wrong but when it came to being clinical and consistent, the fight petered out. DC began with five wins in first six matches and were perched at the top of the table, but a stunning nosedive saw them lose five out of the next eight.

LSG's Inconsistency Costs Them

Rishabh Pant's horror run with the bat, lack of depth in middle order and lack of variation in bowling saw Lucknow Super Giants miss out on playoffs again but Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram gave them substance amid Digvesh Rathi's theatrics.

Inputs from PTI