Six-time IPL winner Ambati Rayudu backs RCB to end title drought: 'Time for the great city of Bangalore to win'

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu is among those backing Royal Challengers Bengaluru to finally end their 18-year wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title as they face Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Neither RCB nor PBKS have won a season despite being part of the world’s biggest T20 league since its inception in 2008, meaning the IPL will witness a first-time champion on Tuesday regardless of which team ends up on the winning side.

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RCB ’truly deserve this season’, says six-time IPL winner Rayudu

“There has always been an amazing cricketing rivalry between the three great southern cities… I think it’s time for the great city of Bangalore to win their first ever IPL trophy tonight, which they truly deserve this season… Go RCB… bring it home,” Rayudu, who won three titles each with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, wrote on X.

After finishing second on the points table with a victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the final league match of the season, RCB stormed into the final after outplaying PBKS in Qualifier in Mullanpur. Suyash Sharma and Josh Hazlewood collected three wickets each while opener Phil Salt struck an unbeaten 56 as Bengaluru bundled Punjab out for just 101 before chasing the target down with 8 wickets and half of their overs to spare.

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Punjab, however, bounced back in the subsequent match, with skipper Shreyas Iyer smashing an unbeaten 87 to steer his team to a five-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad. MI had defeated Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator in Mullanpur, but stumbled in the penultimate game of the season for the second time in three seasons.

While PBKS have made it to the final just once, losing to Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2014 final, RCB have finished runners-up thrice – each time with a different captain. While the Anil Kumble-led side lost to Deccan Chargers in 2009, the team led by Daniel Vettori were vanquished by MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings two years later.

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The only time batting superstar Virat Kohli led the franchise into the final was in 2016, the season in which he amassed a record 973 runs. Despite their outstanding performance that season, RCB ended up losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.