RCB clinched their first title in 2025, but it was the end of their 18-year-long wait. The whole journey was marked with ups and downs for Virat Kohli, who tried his best for Bangalore every season; he was honored but still a bit less than his friend Sunil Chhetri who was happier than him.
At the final match at Ahmedabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings and ended their title drought. After 18 long years and innumerable disappointments, RCB finally got the chance to celebrate.
Sunil Chhetri discusses RCB’s IPL victory
Virat Kohli, the player who always remained with RCB through the tough times, could not control his emotions and was crying while he handed over the coveted IPL trophy to himself.
In the meantime, the famous Indian soccer player and Kohli’s closest friend Sunil Chhetri has lately spoken about the splendid moment.
During his guest appearance on the show ‘Serving it up with Sania,’ Chhetri expressed that he was over the moon with the news and very delighted for Virat Kohli, who had been the most dedicated player to the RCB Franchise for 18 years.
He illustrated the hardship of securing a goal this long, but Kohli never stopped and eventually shared his happiness with the people of Bengaluru.
“I’m extremely delighted for Virat Kohli. Extremely delighted for the whole squad and the complete city and state. 18 long years. It’s not a walk in the park. To be one of the most glamorous teams and not lift the trophy for 18 years is quite difficult,” Chhetri quoted.
Sunil Chhetri has a strong bond with Bengaluru as he was part of ISL team Bengaluru FC. He also often visited RCB camps every year during the IPL season and built a good friendship with Virat Kohli.
RCB title win marred by tragic stampede
But RCB’s win celebration didn’t take too long. The team opted to hold an open-top bus parade, but unfortunately, poor crowd control led to a stampede occurring outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The stampede claimed 11 lives, or in other words, the stadium has been deserted ever since. A lawsuit is still ongoing in the court. However, the Karnataka government stated that the Chinnaswamy Stadium could be used for IPL matches in 2026 as they are upgrading the safety measures.
