AHMEDABAD, India (CMC):
ROYAL CHALLENGERS Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their Indian Premier League trophy drought, defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in a thrilling final at the Narendra Modi Stadium yesterday.
West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd played a key role in the victory, taking a crucial wicket as RCB lifted their first IPL title after finishing runners-up in 2009, 2011, and 2016.
Batting first, RCB posted a competitive 190-9, thanks to Virat Kohli’s steady 43 off 35 balls and valuable contributions from Mayank Agarwal, 24, and Rajat Patidar, 26.
Punjab’s bowlers fought back, with Arshdeep Singh bagging 3-40 and Kyle Jamieson 3-48 sharing six wickets, but late fireworks from Jitesh Sharma, 24 off 10, and Liam Livingstone, 25 off 15, pushed RCB to a strong total.
Shepherd, coming in at number seven, was able to hit a four and a six on his way to 17 off nine balls in his 14-minute stay at the crease.
Punjab’s chase began brightly with openers Priyansh Arya, 24, and Prabhsimran Singh, 26, adding 43, but the momentum shifted when Krunal Pandya, 2-17, struck twice, including the key wicket of Prabhsimran.
The turning point came in the 10th over when Shepherd dismissed Shreyas Iyer for just one, tightening RCB’s grip on the game.
Despite a valiant unbeaten 61 from 30 balls from Shashank Singh, Punjab fell short at 184-7, as RCB’s bowlers held their nerve in the death overs.
Shepherd’s disciplined bowling and Pandya’s economical spell proved decisive in securing Bengaluru’s historic triumph.
Kohli, who finished the season with 700 runs, praised his team’s collective effort.
“This win is as much for the fans as it is for the team. It has been 18 long years. I have given my youth, my prime. I gave it everything I have, I never thought this day would come.”