RCB vs PBKS IPL 2025 final breaks record, becomes the most watched T20 final in history

The final of the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) became the most-watched final in the history of the format, as per BARC India. The summit clash saw the Bengaluru-based franchise win their first IPL trophy.

IPL this year went on a tad longer than when it was supposed to end. The final, scheduled originally for May 25, was moved to June 3 as the league had to be halted midway through. The league resumed on May 17 following a one-week halt, with the league stage of the tournament ending on May 27.

The final, one of the most anticipated events in the league, saw Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings by six runs and lift their maiden championship. The summit clash amassed a total of 31.7 billion minutes of watch time across TV and OTT platforms.

On TV, Star Sports was the official broadcaster, with the final registering 169 million viewers and a watch time of 15 billion minutes. Via the OTT platform JioHotstar, the final saw 892 million video views, 55 million peak concurrency, and 16.74 billion minutes of watch-time, making it one of the most watched T20 finals.

How did the IPL 2025 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings pan out?

Krunal Pandya was the Player of the Match in the IPL final. - Source: Getty

Being asked to bat first in the summit clash, Royal Challengers Bengaluru managed to get to 190/9 at the end of their 20 overs, thanks to contributions with the bat from Virat Kohli (43 off 35), Rajat Patidar (26 off 16), and Jitesh Sharma (24 off 10). Arshdeep Singh and Kyle Jamieson, though expensive, picked up three wickets each.

Punjab Kings at one point were sailing home to a win, with Josh Inglis (39 off 23) going great guns. However, crucial spells from Krunal Pandya (2/17) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/38) helped RCB get over the line despite an assault in the end from Shashank Singh (61 off 30).

For his bowling efforts in the final, Krunal Pandya was adjudged the Player of the Match. Mumbai Indians' Suryakumar Yadav won the Player of the Tournament award.

Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee