Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their 18-year wait for an IPL (Indian Premier League) title with a thrilling 6-run win over Punjab Kings in the final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

Punjab were restricted to 184/7 in response to RCB's fighting total of 190/9. Shashank Singh smashed 22 runs off the final over from Josh Hazlewood, but it wasn't enough to stop the celebrations in Bengaluru.

Virat Kohli, who had remained loyal to RCB for 18 years and lost three finals with them, was reduced to tears.

Earlier, star batter Kohli couldn't gear up in the big match despite making a patient 43 off 35, but handy contributions from the middle order got them to 190/9.

Punjab got off to a steady start before Hazlewood dismissed Priyansh Arya (24), caught brilliantly on the ropes by Phil Salt. Prabhsimran Singh, who came on as an impact sub, and Josh Inglis seemed to have had things under control before RCB struck twice.

Singh and captain Shreyas Iyer were dismissed in 7 deliveries. Iyer (1) edged Romario Shepherd behind after Singh sliced a Krunal Pandya delivery to fall for 26 off 22.

Left-arm spinner Pandya caused further damage to Punjab's chase by getting rid of dangerman Inglis (39 off 23), caught effortlessly on the ropes by Liam Livingstone. Pandya finished with a brilliant 2/17 from four overs.

Two young Indians, Nehal Wadhera and Shashank Singh, were tasked with resurrecting Punjab's cause. Shashank hit two sixes off Hazlewood's penultimate over, but Wadhera fell trying to go big against Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15 off 18).

Marcus Stoinis entered the act and smashed a six straight away, but edged a wide yorker, and returned. Yash Dayal bowled a brilliant 18th over, giving away just five runs and taking the wicket of Azmatullah Omarzai (1). Punjab needed 42 off 12 balls after that, and though Shashank tried his best, it wasn't enough in the end. 

Earlier, after Iyer won the toss, Kyle Jamieson and Arshdeep Singh bagged three wickets each, with the Indian pacer claiming all three in the 20th over, in which RCB could only score three runs.

Kohli looked solid, playing risk-free shots as he ran out of partners. He had hit just three boundaries and refrained from launching big, but Omarzai forced him into a pull before sprinting across to midwicket to take the catch.

After Kohli's dismissal, Sharma looked in the mood to play another swashbuckling cameo. He hit Jamieson for two sixes in an over. But the lanky New Zealander had the last laugh, getting Liam Livingstone trapped leg before (25 off 15) to finish on 3/48. Sharma couldn't last longer as Vijaykumar Vyshak castled him the next over for 24 (10).

Jamieson broke a blossoming partnership between Rajat Patidar (26 off 16) and Kohli. It was the lanky pacer's second wicket, having removed opener Phil Salt in the second over.

Mayank Agarwal (24 off 18) had followed Salt (16 off 9) to the dressing room before skipper Patidar. Leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal returned to haunt his former employer, RCB, by removing Agarwal in his first over.

Agarwal was caught in the deep while trying to launch Chahal. Jamieson gave PBKS a solid start by dismissing Salt in the second over. Salt looked dangerous with a six and two boundaries but ballooned a fuller delivery, which Iyer caught beautifully.

Brief scores: RCB 190/9 in 20 overs (Kohli 43, Patidar 26, Livingstone 25, Agarwal 24, Sharma 24, Arshdeep 3/40, Jamieson 3/48) bt Punjab Kings 184/7 in 20 overs (Shashank Singh 61 not out, Josh Inglis 39, Prabhsimran Singh 26, Krunal Pandya 2/17, Bhuvneshwar 2/38)

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