Legendary Australia cricketer Shane Watson has backed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to win Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) and Virat Kohli to win Player of the Match. RCB finished the league stage of the tournament on second position with nine wins from 14 matches, having 19 points to their name. It was the first time that the Bengaluru-based franchise finished in top two after nine years.
As a result, they have a golden chance to win the tournament and end their 18-year drought of an IPL trophy. Shane Watson has also backed RCB to win the trophy and Virat Kohli to win the Player of the Match award in the final. He also mentioned how the return of Josh Hazlewood for the playoffs is a major boost for the side.
“The winner of IPL 2025, and I’ve been thinking long and hard about it, is RCB. And the Man of the Match for me is Virat Kohli, the great man. And here’s the reason why. I just get a feeling that this is the time for RCB. They have had a few blips in the back end of the tournament, but with Josh Hazlewood coming back for the Playoffs, I get a feeling this is the year,” Watson said in a video shared on his X handle.
Back in 2016, during the final of the IPL played between RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Watson didn’t have a memorable game. He first leaked 61 runs in four overs and later got dismissed for 11 (9) as RCB lost the match by eight runs. The Australian all-rounder has apologised to RCB fans time and again for his dismal show in the final which deprived them of their maiden title victory.
Meanwhile, Hazlewood missed the last two games for RCB as he was nursing a shoulder issue and returned late from Australia. However, his return just ahead of the playoffs has provided a major boost for Bengaluru. The Rajat Patidar-led side will hope that the Australian seamer continues his rich form in the season and finally ends their title drought.
