Image Source: Agencies

June 2, 2025: Virat Kohli's nearly two-decade long agonising wait to lay hands on an IPL Trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be up against Shreyas Iyer's resolve to make first-time winners out of the tenacious Punjab Kings when the 18th season finale of the world's biggest T20 league unfolds here on June 3 (Tuesday).
The summit clash here at the Narendra Modi Stadium could witness a thousands of fans donning jersey No.18 to support Kohli, who is in an IPL final for a fourth time overall.
On their part, stung by that crushing defeat in their homeground at Mullanpur, Iyer's Kings showed no scars from that defeat as they knocked out five-time winners Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 to reach their first final after 11 years.
It's only fitting that PBKS and RCB, who finished at the top two positions, respectively after a gruelling 70-match league round, have a crack at the trophy which has eluded them from the time the competition began.
Perennial finishers in the second half of the 10-team points table, Punjab Kings have staged a sensational turnaround with two dogged personalities in captain Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting at the helm.
Iyer (603 runs)'s ability to lead his team as well as any other in the format is demonstrated by his second straight IPL final participation after winning it with the Kolkata Knight Riders the previous year.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Iyer is the only cricket player in the tournament's eighteen-year history to have captained three separate teams in IPL finals, with the Delhi Capitals serving as the third.
The 30-year-old captain of Punjab, Iyer, is notable not just for his tenacity but also for the fact that he is still as eager to win this IPL as he was when he joined the team a few months ago.
Iyer has enough support from Prabhsimran Singh, Josh Inglis, Priyansh Arya, and Shashank Singh to hold his ground firmly and even launch forceful attacks on the opposition side.
Without Marcus Jansen, Punjab's bowling did appear a touch lacking, but the fact that they were able to contain the Mumbai Indians for the whole of an innings on a ground that was conducive to batting shows that there is more to it than has been thought.