“It was long awaited” – CSK legend congratulates RCB on winning IPL 2025 [Watch]

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) legend MS Dhoni congratulated the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who won their first title last year. The wicketkeeper-batter also praised the franchise’s fans for showing up and cheering for the side even when the chips were down.

With Rajat Patidar replacing Faf du Plessis as captain, the Royal Challengers plugged plenty of holes in the team and roped in players, who proved to be bona fide match-winners. Having lost three IPL finals previously, RCB finally ended the jinx, as they beat the Punjab Kings in the final by six runs in Ahmedabad.

With a fan recently asking for Dhoni’s reaction to Bengaluru’s title win, the former captain praised their effort, saying that they well and truly deserved the victory. He said during an event in a video shared on social media:

“If I’m part of CSK, I can’t imagine any other team winning the IPL. But it was long-awaited and they played very well. Big congratulations to them and I said it even then. But the whole thing is when you are a participant in the competition, you want your team to win. It doesn’t always work in your favor but what went wrong and what can we learn from the other teams. That is also crucial in the tournament like this. Big congratulations to you. RCB fans have been brilliant. Every time there is a game, they come and support their team, even when the chips are down.”

The Royal Challengers’ campaign was memorable as they beat CSK at the Chepauk for the first time since 2008. Additionally, they defeated the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium for the first time since 2015.

Venkatesh Iyer is RCB’s most expensive buy in IPL 2026 auction

Meanwhile, seam-bowling all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer is RCB’s most expensive player in IPL 2026 auction, as they shelled out ₹7 crore for him. The other players bought in the auction are Mangesh Yadav (₹5.2 crore), Jacob Duffy (₹2.00 crore), Jordon Cox (₹75 lakh), Satvik Desai (₹30 lakh), Kanishk Chouhan (₹30 lakh), Vihaan Malhotra (₹30 lakh), and Vicky Otswal (₹30 lakh).

IPL 2026 is likely to begin on March 26 but the full schedule is yet to be announced.