Sehwag draws parallels between India's 2011 World Cup victory and RCB's maiden IPL win

Virender Sehwag recently drew a striking comparison between Virat Kohli’s IPL title win and Sachin Tendulkar’s long-awaited ODI World Cup triumph. The former Indian opener highlighted how Kohli, much like Tendulkar, endured a prolonged wait before finally lifting a coveted trophy. Kohli’s dream turned into reality when Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched their first-ever IPL championship by defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in the 2025 final.

With this win, RCB brought an 18-year-long title drought to an end. Reflecting on the moment, Sehwag remarked that Kohli’s journey mirrors that of Tendulkar, who had to wait even longer before claiming the ODI World Cup in 2011. The former India opener also stated that Virat Kohli, now having ticked this box, can choose to retire without any lingering regrets whenever he feels ready.

“His (Kohli) wait to win the trophy for only 18 years. Sachin Tendulkar waited from 1989 till 2011. So, Kohli's wait for lesser, and still even Sachin never lost hope. He had made up his mind, he would only bow out with a World Cup trophy in his hand,” Sehwag said.

“It's the same for Virat Kohli. Now, he can be relieved. He can happily stop playing IPL whenever he wants to make that decision. A player plays to win the trophy. Money comes and goes, but winning trophies isn't easy. And even as Kohli's wait ended, he has still made a very strong contribution in their campaign,” added the former opener.

Kohli was instrumental to RCB’s victorious campaign, finishing as the third-highest run-getter in IPL 2025. He amassed 657 runs across 15 innings, averaging 54.75 and striking at 144.71. His consistency was underscored by eight half-centuries, with a top score of an unbeaten 73* off 54 balls against Punjab Kings, a knock that helped RCB chase down 158 in just 18.5 overs.

On the bowling front, Josh Hazlewood emerged as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.54 and an economy of 8.77. RCB’s success wasn’t built on individual brilliance alone; it was a well-rounded team effort. In fact, nine different RCB players were named Player of the Match through the course of the season, a testament to the squad’s depth and collective drive that finally brought their long-awaited moment of glory.