Winning IPL 2025 wasn’t just joy, it was closure to 2011 – Mayank Agarawal on RCB Podcast

RCB breezed past Punjab Kings in the summit clash of IPL 2025 to lift their first title ever since the inception of the tournament. Collective display from the Royal Challengers' batters helped them carve history at the Narendra Modi Stadium, including a handy knock of 24 runs from Mayank Agarawal, who knitted together an important partnership of 38 runs with Virat Kohli for the second wicket.

Talking on the latest episode of Big Basket presents RCB Podcast: Bold & Beyond, Mayank Agarawal revealed the pressure that he was under when he walked out to bat. With Kyle Jamieson breathing fire at one end, he had to shake off the initial jitters before he could make an impact.

Mayank said, “It was nervy. In the qualifier, Kyle Jamieson had a good over at me, so in the final when he started again, Virat said, ‘He’s getting bounce and shape; look to attack him square of the wicket, not just past third man.’ Once the first boundary came, the confidence followed and we put pressure back. Phil Salt’s intent set it up. My role was to keep the momentum. If I could soak up the pressure and turn it back quickly, our partnership would flow, and it did."

He also expressed the raw feelings after RCB conquered the IPL, stating, “My first year at RCB was 2011; we lost the final in Chennai. Winning now wasn’t just joy, it was closure to 2011. To go from not being part of the IPL to being part of the team that won it for the first time in 18 years, that’s history, and it’s hard to put into words. It was massive not just for the franchise but for the fans, players, and everyone connected to RCB. You could feel years of emotions released in that moment."