Former India captain and Chennai Super Kings icon MS Dhoni finally broke his silence on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long-awaited maiden IPL title, and did so in quintessential Dhoni style, calm, candid, and laced with understated wit.
Speaking at an IndiGo fan interaction event, Dhoni was asked about RCB’s historic IPL triumph in 2025, which ended their 18-year title drought. While congratulating the Bengaluru franchise, Dhoni admitted that his competitive instincts made it difficult to imagine any team other than CSK lifting the trophy.
“If I’m part of CSK, I can’t imagine any other team winning the IPL,” Dhoni said. “But it was long-awaited, and they played very well. Big congratulations to them, I said it even then.”
Dhoni acknowledged the quality of cricket RCB displayed throughout the season and stressed that competition naturally brings a single-minded desire to win. “When you are a participant, you want your team to win. It doesn’t always go your way, so it’s important to reflect on what went wrong and what you can learn from other teams. That’s crucial in a tournament like the IPL,” he added.
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The 42-year-old reserved special praise for RCB’s loyal fanbase, whose unwavering support has often been cited as one of the franchise’s defining strengths. “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,” Dhoni said, a remark that quickly struck a chord online.
MS Dhoni candid response to a fan asking how he felt after RCB winning 2025 IPL. #MSDhoni pic.twitter.com/BkP71runjz
— Yash MSdian™️ 🦁 (@itzyash07) January 21, 2026
Clips from the interaction went viral within hours, with fans applauding Dhoni’s balanced and gracious response to one of the most emotional moments in IPL history.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally ended their title drought on June 3, 2025, edging past Punjab Kings by six runs in a tense final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Led by new captain Rajat Patidar, who took over from Faf du Plessis, RCB restructured their squad, plugged long-standing gaps, and found consistency across all departments.
Their championship run featured several landmark moments, including a rare win over CSK at Chepauk, their first since 2008, and a long-awaited victory against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, a venue where they hadn’t won since 2015. After losing three previous IPL finals, RCB finally shattered the jinx, delivering a maiden title that their fans had waited nearly two decades to celebrate.
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