Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar picked his best performance of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) after they finally ended their 18-year-long trophy drought. RCB beat PBKS by six runs in the final.
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00:00We are joined by our cricket analyst in Sunny Gavaskar.
00:04Saiwai, you're there in Ahmedabad.
00:06We can see the frenzy, the fans celebrating.
00:09Let's start with your prediction.
00:11For the longest time during this tournament,
00:13you had this feeling that this was going to be RCB's year
00:17and it has eventually turned out to be that.
00:19What was it that was telling you this year,
00:22the team in red is going to be lifting that trophy?
00:25I think it was the combination that they had.
00:27They had some terrific batters to get the team up to a good start
00:31in South in particular.
00:33And then there was goalie to stabilize the innings.
00:36And then they had Rajat Patidar also.
00:38The bowling as well, they had Josh Hazelwood,
00:40Bhuvaneshwar, Kumar, two top quality bowlers.
00:43Then they had Kumar Pandya, a very, very intelligent cricketer.
00:47So they had a very good team, very well-balanced team.
00:51And that's why, you know, it looked...
00:53And when they started well,
00:54when they started the tournament with wins over CSK in Chennai,
00:59wins over Mumbai in Mumbai,
01:01that showed that this time around RCB were going to be the favorites.
01:06And they've proven that this evening.
01:10Sahiba, we're getting pictures from all across the country
01:12and from Bengaluru too.
01:14The fans celebrating.
01:15They'll be celebrating well through the night.
01:18And just looking at that fan base,
01:20one of the most loyal fan bases that I've seen in the IPL.
01:23They've not won a title yet.
01:24The fans kept backing them.
01:27You know, deserve it, champions, in that sense?
01:29A gift that these fans deserve?
01:32Yes.
01:33Yes, absolutely.
01:33And, you know, if I might add that this was the one year
01:36that that slogan that they had about that this year,
01:40the cup is going to be ours,
01:41was pretty muted.
01:42Not that it wasn't there.
01:44And it was almost like, you know,
01:46that particular slogan was really lagaring nazar on them.
01:49And because that was muted,
01:51the cup is actually this time theirs.
01:54So congratulations for them
01:55because they've made some top-class cricket
01:56right throughout the IPL.
01:58But the last two or three performances in particular
02:00have been outstanding.
02:02Chasing down 230-plus,
02:03which they hadn't done in the IPL against LSG
02:06in their last league game.
02:07Then decimating Punjab Kings in the qualifier one.
02:11Winning in 25 overs, you know, 15 overs of Punjab
02:14and 10 overs of their own batting.
02:16And then again, now here,
02:18the way they have, you know, won,
02:20kept their nerve despite the fact that, you know,
02:22a lot of people thought that they were maybe 15 to 20 runs.
02:25I thought of what would have been
02:26an ideal score to defend.
02:28So yes, very well deserved victory.
02:31And congratulations to them and all the fans
02:33for having shown the faith and the patience
02:35in their team.
02:37Sir, whatever be the result in terms of man of the match,
02:41whoever the commentators pick,
02:43but if I was to ask you,
02:44not too many high scores in there batting,
02:46some good bowling performances,
02:48one that stands out is that of Kunal Pandya.
02:50But for you, man of the match?
02:52Yes, Kunal Pandya.
02:53Kunal Pandya, because he got wickets
02:55at, you know, he got to make it across the list
02:57who was batting so well.
02:58So, you know, I mean,
02:59if that ball had gone for a six,
03:01it might have been a different story again.
03:03But, you know, Anthony Levickson taking that catch.
03:05But the way Kunal Pandya hold,
03:07just imagine bowling four overs
03:08for, I think, 17 runs
03:10and taking two wickets.
03:12That's an economy of just over four runs and over,
03:15plus two wickets.
03:16So, he has to be the player of the match.
03:20I don't know what the other fellow commentators will be deciding,
03:23but for me, he would be the player of the match.
03:26Sahiba, a word on Virat Kohli.
03:28I mean, he had a very good season
03:30with the half centuries that you got,
03:32but I just don't want to talk about this season.
03:34He's been a true blue RCBN in that sense
03:38from the first year onwards.
03:40He's had some very outstanding seasons,
03:43maybe some average seasons as well.
03:44But what about that journey?
03:45For a man who's given his all to this franchise,
03:49what would it mean, finally,
03:51for him to tick this box in his career?
03:54It'll be huge.
03:55You know, there's a saying that
03:56the rewards of patience are very sweet.
03:59The fruits of patience are sweet.
04:01And I think this is going to be really, really sweet,
04:03this win.
04:05Because, you know, for waiting for 17 years
04:07and the 18th year,
04:09they're winning 18th, of course.
04:1118 is his short number as well.
04:14So, maybe very apt
04:15that in the 18th season,
04:17the RCB have won a title
04:19for somebody who's been with them
04:21through thick and thin.
04:23Virat Kohli, number 18.
04:25Okay.
04:26Sahiba, let's talk about this final.
04:28190 at the halfway stage.
04:30Looked like just about a par
04:31or some would even say a below par total
04:33because in Ahmedabad,
04:34we do get high-scoring pitches.
04:36What really happened to that Punjab team?
04:38The same team
04:39that chased 200-plus total
04:42against Mumbai Indians.
04:43High-pressure game,
04:44that too.
04:45On this occasion,
04:46what happened?
04:46Did they freeze?
04:47Did the occasion get to them?
04:50Yes.
04:51You could say that.
04:52But also,
04:52I think you must remember
04:53that they were up against
04:54a top-quality new ball attack.
04:56Josh Hazelwood,
04:57Bhuvaneshwar Kumar,
04:58never easy to score off.
05:00Yes, they also
05:01have come on so well
05:02as a new ball bowler.
05:04It wasn't going to be easy
05:05to get off to a good start.
05:07Also, I think temperament
05:08sometimes plays a big role.
05:10Having scored so many runs,
05:12I think they scored about 14 runs
05:13for that Hazelwood over.
05:15That is where your temperament is.
05:17Okay, one ball left.
05:18I will not try and hit a six now.
05:20I will just try and work him around
05:22for a boundary.
05:23I will not play a high-risk shot.
05:24That catch of Phil Salt was superb.
05:26But I think this is where
05:27experience comes in.
05:29Sometimes, you know,
05:29in the heat of the moment,
05:30in the excitement,
05:31youngsters can get carried away.
05:32And that's what might have happened
05:33to Priyancharya.
05:35Then the way Prabhupada
05:35was just not able to get going
05:37and then playing across the line
05:38against a spin
05:39to Brunal Pandya.
05:42Again, over here,
05:44there is a little bit of,
05:44you know,
05:45understanding that
05:46playing across the line
05:48would not work.
05:49A couple of dot calls.
05:51And it is very predictable
05:52that you're going to go
05:52for the big shot.
05:53And that's what happened.
05:54So those two wickets
05:56and then, of course,
05:56the wicket of Sears,
05:57the captain,
05:59who had been batting so well.
06:01And he got out to,
06:02you know,
06:02an unlikely bowler.
06:04Unlikely wicket-taker.
06:05I'm sorry,
06:05not an unlikely bowler.
06:06Unlikely wicket-taker,
06:07Romero Shepard.
06:08So that is where
06:10Punjab lost again.
06:11Saibet,
06:12I mean,
06:12this was just about the final.
06:14But if I was to sum up
06:15RCB's entire season,
06:17let's say five years,
06:18six years down the line,
06:19if I was to ask you
06:20to recall
06:21this particular season,
06:22season 2025 for RCB,
06:24what will be
06:25your biding memories
06:26of this season
06:27in terms of how
06:27RCB have performed?
06:29Any game,
06:29any individual performances?
06:31What will stay with you
06:32for a very long time?
06:34Well,
06:34firstly,
06:35I didn't watch
06:36every single game
06:36because I was not
06:37doing commentary
06:38every single day.
06:39So I didn't watch
06:40every single game
06:41that they played.
06:41But for me,
06:42that win in the first
06:43qualifier against Punjab,
06:45where they demolished
06:47Punjab in what,
06:4814.1 overs
06:49for just 100
06:50and then rattled up
06:52the runs in 10 overs,
06:54that for me
06:55is the standard performance
06:57for the RCB.
07:01Your MVP
07:02for the season,
07:03most valuable player
07:04from this entire season
07:05of IPL,
07:06who would that be?
07:07There are a few contenders
07:08who've done well
07:09from the team
07:10that's won,
07:11from the team
07:11that's played the final,
07:12some that missed out
07:13on the playoff.
07:14So there will be
07:14a few contenders,
07:15I know.
07:16But who,
07:17if you had to pick one,
07:18MVP,
07:19who would that be?
07:21That's a tough question.
07:23Once again,
07:23because I didn't see
07:24every match,
07:25I cannot tell you
07:26if you had given me
07:27maybe four or five choices,
07:29maybe...
07:29I'll give you,
07:29I'll give you some choices anyway.
07:31I'll give you.
07:32There is Josh Hazelwood,
07:33who's been outstanding,
07:34who's played less games,
07:35but is right up there
07:36in terms of economy
07:38as well as vickets.
07:39There is Sai Sudarshan,
07:41who had an outstanding season
07:42with the bat.
07:43There is Sura Kumar Yadav,
07:44who was very consistent
07:45with the bat
07:46at a very good strike rate.
07:48We spoke about
07:49Virat Kohli
07:50getting, I think,
07:51eight or nine half centuries
07:52throughout this season.
07:53Prasit Krishna,
07:54who would be leading
07:55the purple cap,
07:56you know,
07:57ranking this season.
07:59So,
07:59these are just
08:00four or five names
08:01that really come to your mind.
08:02Who would be your MVP?
08:04I think Sai Sudarshan,
08:05for the way he played,
08:06you know,
08:07to get 759 runs
08:09is never easy
08:10in this format of the game.
08:13And so,
08:14I think,
08:14for the way he batted,
08:15maybe I think
08:16he would be the MVP.
08:17I know generally
08:18what happens
08:18with man of the match
08:19or MVP
08:19is you sort of
08:22choose
08:23from the winning team.
08:25But here,
08:26I think
08:26both Sai Sudarshan
08:28and Prasit Krishna
08:29top with the orange
08:30and the purple cap.
08:31But that also tells you
08:32that individual performances
08:34don't always win you
08:35win you games.
08:36You've got to have
08:37a team performance.
08:38And if you have a look
08:38at RCB's performance
08:40throughout the season,
08:41they've had nine
08:42player of the match
08:43medal winners.
08:44And I don't know
08:45who the medal winner today
08:46may be,
08:46Fitzpranald Pandya,
08:48but he'll be still nine.
08:49But that tells you
08:50that if you have
08:50so many medal winners,
08:52that's a team
08:53where everybody
08:54has contributed.
08:56That's really interesting.
08:57Sai,
08:57your heart also goes out
08:59to someone like
09:00Shreya Sahir.
09:00He also had
09:02a phenomenal season,
09:04may not be
09:04the ideal final,
09:05but the way he led
09:06Punjab Kings
09:07throughout.
09:08What did you make
09:09of the entire
09:09Punjab Kings campaign
09:11as well as Shreya
09:11as the leader?
09:13Very, very good.
09:14He actually held it,
09:16held the Punjab team
09:17on his shoulders.
09:18You've got to say,
09:19yes, there was
09:20the opening pair
09:20of Priyansh
09:21and Prop Simran.
09:23But like I keep saying,
09:25where it matters,
09:26you've got to deliver.
09:27In the league
09:28where you've got
09:28another match
09:29to come tomorrow
09:29or day after
09:30two, three matches,
09:31batting the way
09:32that they do
09:32is easy.
09:34But in a knockout game
09:35where you have
09:36to score runs,
09:37where you must
09:38deliver for your team,
09:39when you don't do that,
09:41then that is not
09:41good enough.
09:42And that is what happened.
09:44Shreya Sahir did get
09:45the runs against
09:45Mumbai Indians,
09:46but look at the others.
09:48These two openers
09:49didn't do anything
09:50in both the games
09:52against Mumbai Indians
09:53as well as against
09:54RCB in the final.
09:57Then you had
09:57Nehal Vadera
09:59not really scoring
09:59too many runs.
10:00So, the guys,
10:01the uncapped players
10:02on whom so much
10:04of faith
10:04was reposed
10:05by the franchise,
10:08they didn't quite
10:09live up
10:10when it mattered.
10:12Okay,
10:13Samimha,
10:13finally,
10:14before we let you go,
10:15IPL is also
10:16about young talent
10:17and we were
10:17blessed to see
10:18some outstanding
10:19young talent
10:20this entire season.
10:21I'm going to ask
10:22you to pick
10:22the one debutant
10:24from this season
10:25you think will serve
10:26Indian cricket
10:27for a very long time.
10:28Again,
10:28I'll give you
10:29a few options.
10:30There is Priyansh Arya
10:30who played that final.
10:32There's Digvesh Rati
10:33who did very well
10:34for Lucknow.
10:35You, of course,
10:36have Veybhav Suryavanshi
10:37who was outstanding
10:38in this entire season.
10:40Vipraj Nigam.
10:41Many debutants
10:42really come to your mind.
10:44There was Ayush Matre
10:45who played for Chennai.
10:46One or two names
10:47that you think
10:48have a bright future ahead?
10:51I want to see them
10:52in the second season.
10:53It's a second season
10:55syndrome that is also important.
10:56First season
10:57when you're unknown,
10:58nobody knows about you.
11:00The computer guys
11:01don't have enough info on you.
11:03So it's the second season
11:04when they have info on you
11:05about your batting strength,
11:06about your batting weaknesses,
11:08about your bowling ability.
11:09The second season
11:10is important.
11:11So this is not the time
11:12to make predictions
11:13as to who's going to be
11:14the future India picket up.
11:16Let's wait for another season.
11:18Let's see how these guys
11:19do in that season
11:20and not just in the IPL,
11:22in the rest of the
11:22domestic season as well.
11:24Then we can talk about
11:25who is going to be
11:26serving Indian cricket
11:28for a long time.
11:29All right.
11:29Same way,
11:30thank you so much
11:30for taking our time
11:31speaking to us
11:32on the day
11:33that we've seen RCB
11:34finally lift
11:36that IPL trophy.
11:38As Mr. Gavaskar there
11:39was also saying
11:40it was a long time coming.
11:41In fact,
11:42he had been a regular
11:43in our programming
11:44here on India Today
11:46and kept saying
11:46this to me
11:47seems like
11:48the year
11:49of Royal Challengers
11:51Bengaluru.
11:51and that's exactly
11:53how it's turned out
11:54to be.