PBKS vs RCB: Did Shreyas Iyer take offense to Virat Kohli’s fiery celebration?

Virat Kohli was at his most expressive as Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a convincing seven-wicket win over Punjab Kings in IPL 2025 in Mullanpur on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 158, RCB cruised to victory with seven balls to spare. Following the win, Kohli turned toward PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer and made an animated gesture, capturing the attention of fans and cameras alike. Moments later, Shreyas walked over to Kohli, and the duo shared what appeared to be a friendly exchange, with Kohli visibly upbeat. Watch the video below:

The bond between kohli and iyer is so underrated man 🤧🫶🏼 pic.twitter.com/TZqQaS2JjY

— Ransh (@Ransh25) April 20, 2025

The game concluded in style, as Nehal Wadhera launched a six over mid-wicket to seal the result. This win served as sweet revenge for RCB, who had lost to Punjab just days earlier on April 18 in a rain-shortened 14-over clash at Bengaluru`s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In that encounter, Kohli had fallen cheaply to Arshdeep Singh, and RCB suffered their third straight home defeat. This time, however, Kohli bounced back with a commanding unbeaten 73 off 54 deliveries, studded with seven boundaries and a solitary six.

Sunday`s win propelled RCB to third place on the IPL 2025 points table, with five wins from eight matches and a net run rate of +0.472. Kohli was deservedly named Player of the Match for his match-winning knock and shared insights into RCB’s batting strategy during the post-match presentation.

“This was a crucial game for us. Moving from eight to ten points makes a significant impact. We`ve put ourselves in a strong position,” Kohli remarked. “Dev (Devdutt Padikkal) can bat around me, and perhaps Rajat (Patidar) too. There’s always the temptation to keep going with the same rhythm.”

Reflecting on earlier performances, he added, “We took away key learnings from our first two matches. And the last game was shortened due to rain. In T20 cricket, one good partnership is often enough to chase down totals. If needed, I know when to shift gears.”

RCB now turn their attention to their upcoming fixture against Rajasthan Royals on April 24, at their fortress, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.