IPL 2025 REVIEW: Drama, Dreams, Destiny! RCB have done it for the first time

It was an 18-year wait for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and, specifically, Virat Kohli to finally win the title – and they made the most of every minute of their success (and will continue to do so for the rest of the year).

Neil Manthorp looks back at the highs and lows of IPL 2025.

Match of the Tournament: There was only one Super Over in the entire tournament, which featured fewer close finishes than ever before, but Punjab Kings, defending just 111 against the Kolkata Knight Riders, was a clear standout with Marco Jansen to the fore. But let’s go with the final – the biggest matches so often fail to live up to their billing. Punjab actually bowled beautifully, having chosen to do so, but Royal Challengers batted better to win by just six runs.

Batter:  Sai Sudharsan had a remarkable tournament for the Gujarat Titans, storming his way to 759 runs at an average of 54.2 and a strike rate of 156 but the form team of the first two months faltered when it mattered most. Suryakumar Yadav was in second place with 717 for Mumbai Indians, but let’s go with the man in third place – the one and only Virat Kohli, whose 657 runs came at a respectable strike rate of 144.

Bowler: Prasidh Krishna led the way with 25 wickets, with three overseas players close behind – Afghan wrist spinner Noor Ahmad (24) performed consistently in a hapless CSK season, while Josh Hazlewood and Trent Bould claimed 22 apiece.

Performance: 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi hit his first ball for six over extra cover and made 34 off 20 balls for Rajasthan Royals against LSG – Nine days later, he scored 100 off just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans with seven fours and 11 sixes, second only to Chris Gayle’s 30-ball hundred in 2013.

Clanger: Rishabh Pant cost a record $3.2 million and scored 118* off 61 balls in LSG’s final league match to raise his average from an abject 13.7 to 24.5 with a meagre return of 269 runs from 13 innings. That was more of a blooper than Kagiso Rabada returning home mid-tournament for “personal reasons”.

Overseas Player: Trinidadian Nicholas Pooran’s 40 sixes were more than anybody else managed and his 524 runs came at a remarkable strike rate of 196 for an otherwise disappointing LSG team. Former England captain Jos Buttler also delivered exactly what was required by GT with 538 runs at a strike rate of 163 batting in an unfamiliar No 3 role. But Josh Hazlewood’s 22 wickets and willingness to return to India after the week-long hiatus were instrumental in RCB’s triumph.

Indian Player: Krunal Pandya collected three man-of-the-match awards and scored vital runs everywhere from No 4 to No 8 for champions RCB. There is no more consistent player in recent IPL history – or more consistently under-appreciated.

South African: Heinrich Klaasen’s 37-ball century in Sunrisers' final match pushed him up to ninth place with 487 runs at a strike rate of 172.7 with 25 sixes. Marco Jansen’s 16 wickets for Punjab left him in 13th place overall. They were the most consistent of the South Africans, along with Ryan Rickelton, who will have better seasons for Mumbai. Gerald Coetzee and Corbin Bosch had their moments but perhaps the greatest impression was made by replacement player Dewald Brevis around whom CSK will now attempt to rebuild their batting.

Talking Point: Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match was abandoned as air-raid sirens sounded in Dharamsala, less than 200 kilometres from Jammu, where explosions had been reported with India and Pakistan exchanging heavy fire and drone attacks. The stadium lights were cut and the crowd evacuated while the teams and officials were moved by chartered train to Delhi, with airspace in the region shut down.

Look out for: More stories on the MS Dhoni ‘saga’. The former Indian captain will be 44 by the time of the next tournament and, despite looking (and playing like) his age, and being urged to retire by any number of former players and teammates, he said he was in “no hurry” to decide his future.

300? SRH began the season in stunning fashion with a total of 286 for six against the Rajasthan Royals, just one short of their own tournament record set in 2024. It seemed just a matter of time before the 300 barrier was breached. But the bowlers fought back and no team even reached 250 until the Sunrisers (again) posted a whopping 278-5 in their final game against GT with Heinrich Klaasen posting 105* from only 39 balls.