Courtesy: BCCI/IPL/ESPNcricinfo
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) reached the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 after defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a one-sided Qualifier 1 by eight wickets at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. After bundling out PBKS for just 101 runs in 14.1 overs on the back of an impressive all-round bowling performance, Phil Salt stayed unbeaten in the run chase, went past his fifty to take RCB over the finishing line, securing their fourth appearance in the IPL final.
In the immediate aftermath of the RCB’s win, former player AB de Villiers sent out a special message for the fans worldwide, telling them that the time has come for the franchise to win their first-ever IPL trophy after 17 years. During their illustrious history, RCB reached the IPL final thrice, losing to Deccan Chargers (2009), Chennai Super Kings (2011), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2016), but now, the fans will be hoping that the team will break the jinx and AB de Villiers believes that it is going to happen.
In the video shared by ESPNcricinfo, AB de Villiers was asked to share some words to the RCB fans after they made the IPL 2025 final. He was quoted as saying, “The time has come. RCB is going all the way. I'm not allowed to say the Bengaluru terms because Virat told me I'm not allowed to say that anymore. But I truly believe we are going all the way this season. So stay tuned, buckle up and enjoy the ride.”
Watch the video here:
AB de Villiers lost two IPL finals as RCB player in 2011 and 2016
It is important to note that AB de Villiers opted against saying the famous Kannada phrase “Ee Sala Cup Namde,” which translates to “This year the cup is ours,” on the advice of Virat Kohli, but he was more than happy to state that RCB will win the IPL trophy this year. Moreover, during his tenure as a player of the Bengaluru-based franchise, AB de Villiers played in two IPL finals, losing out the chance to lift the trophy in 2011 and 2016.
After deciding to step away from IPL at the conclusion of the 2021 season, when he still was performing exceedingly well, AB de Villiers has taken to cricket commentary apart from posting regular content about the sport on his YouTube channel.
