RCB’s Long Wait Ends: Bengaluru Hosts Grand Victory Parade After Historic IPL 2025 Win

Virat Kohli and RCB break their 18-year title drought, parade to celebrate maiden IPL crown kicks off in Bengaluru

HH News Desk 2 weeks agoLast Updated: June 7, 2025

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BENGALURU — After years of heartbreak, missed chances, and memes that wrote themselves, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have finally silenced the noise. They’re champions. Real ones. The IPL 2025 trophy, long considered a mirage for one of cricket’s most glamorous franchises, now belongs to the red and gold.

The city? It’s buzzing. Tonight, Bengaluru isn’t just celebrating a cricket title — it’s celebrating release, redemption, and a moment 18 seasons in the making.

Parade From Power to Pitch

Starting late this afternoon, RCB’s title-winning squad will roll through the city in a victory parade that begins at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of Karnataka’s government, and snakes its way to the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Before that, the players are slated to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar — a symbolic stop that seals the state’s pride in its home franchise.

The roads? Expect chaos. Joyful chaos. Fans began lining up by noon, some waving flags, others just staring at their phones, hoping to catch a glimpse of Virat Kohli, who is finally — finally — an IPL champion.

Inside Chinnaswamy, from 6 PM, it’ll be full tilt. Music. Lights. Maybe a few tears. The RCB players will be felicitated in front of tens of thousands of fans, and the air is expected to be thick with emotion — and a whole lot of celebratory noise.

What a Final It Was

Played at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, the IPL 2025 Final was fitting for the occasion. RCB batted first after being put in by Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer, and things got tricky fast. Wickets fell. Timing was off. But there was Kohli — calm, composed, collecting 43 off 35 — keeping things in check.

Support came from scattered places. Rajat Patidar, who captained RCB in the absence of Faf du Plessis, chipped in with a handy 26. Jitesh Sharma went berserk for 10 balls, and Liam Livingstone played the disruptor. RCB ended on 190/9, not monstrous, but enough to defend if the bowlers stayed sharp.

They did — just about. Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh gave PBKS a cracking start. Then Josh Inglis and Shashank Singh threatened to take the game away completely. Shashank, especially — his unbeaten 61 off 30 balls was pure theatre. Needing 29 off the last over, he smashed 22. That left RCB with a six-run win. Barely. But just enough.

Krunal Pandya (2/17), Yash Dayal (1/18), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/38) held their nerve. It wasn’t flawless, but in a final, it rarely is.

Kohli’s Tears Tell the Story

After the last ball, it wasn’t a celebration as much as a collective sigh. One player knelt. Another screamed. But Virat Kohli — the heart and soul of this franchise — just looked…free. For 18 seasons, he gave everything: runs, emotion, loyalty. No trophy. Until now.

His 43 wasn’t his flashiest innings, but in the context of a final, under pressure, it mattered more than numbers can show. His expressions post-match — eyes misty, hands trembling slightly — told a generation of RCB fans: this was worth the wait.

PBKS Fall Short, But Finally Compete

For Punjab Kings, it’s a tough pill to swallow. They played their first final since 2014. Came close. Very close. Under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership and Ricky Ponting’s coaching guidance, PBKS finally looked like a unit that belonged in finals.

They bowled well — Arshdeep Singh’s 3/40 and Kyle Jamieson’s 3/48 kept RCB on a leash. They batted with heart, and Shashank Singh, in particular, elevated himself to another level. His striking, presence, and sheer defiance nearly changed history.

This isn’t the end for Punjab. But it might be the start of something more permanent.

Bengaluru Breathes Again

Back in Bengaluru, the mood is electric. Bars near MG Road are planning to stream the parade. Metro stations are bracing for post-event surges. Teenagers are painting their cheeks red and gold. Vendors near Cubbon Park are cashing in on RCB flags.

Tonight, the parade will wind through a city that waited — and never gave up.

For the players, it’ll be a moment of pride. For the fans? It’s a homecoming of sorts. A city and its team, finally aligned in victory.

And for Virat Kohli — who carried this team for so long, sometimes alone — the IPL trophy will feel like a reward, but more than that, a release.

No more questions. No more doubts. RCB are champions.

And Bengaluru, tonight, will roar.

Source: ANI

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