Anushka Sharma was in the stands for one of the biggest nights in Virat Kohli’s IPL career, the 2025 final between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings. As the spotlight turned to Kohli once again, the RCB opener walked out to bat with the weight of expectation on his shoulders and the crowd behind him.
Kohli started confidently, anchoring the innings after Shreyas Iyer won the toss and put RCB in to bat. In the process, he reached a major personal milestone — surpassing Shikhar Dhawan to become the player with the most fours in IPL history, with 769 boundaries to his name.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!But the innings didn’t go the distance. Kohli was dismissed for 43 off 35 balls, just when RCB looked set to shift gears. It was a moment that drew a subdued reaction from the RCB camp, and from Anushka herself, who watched quietly from the stands as her husband made the long walk back.
As the final rolled on, it was a reminder of how deeply personal these moments are not just for the players, but for those who’ve stood beside them through every high and low.
RCB went on to post 190 for 9 in their 20 overs. Mayank Agarwal chipped in with 24, while Rajat Patidar (26), Liam Livingstone (25), and Jitesh Sharma (24) added valuable cameos. Azmatullah Omarzai struck twice early, while Kyle Jamieson and Yuzvendra Chahal also dented RCB’s middle order with two wickets apiece. The target of 191 is a competitive one, but with the pressure of a final and quality on both sides, this match is far from over.
The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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