[WATCH] IPL 2025: Kohli teaches iconic ‘Ee Saala Cup Namdu’ chant to Gayle, de Villiers

Following Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s thrilling six-run victory over Punjab Kings in the 2025 Indian Premier League final, Virat Kohli was seen teaching the famous Ee Saala Cup Namdu (this year, the cup is ours) phrase to former RCB cricketing greats Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers. This was a very touching moment for the team’s supporters.

As the win celebrations continued until after midnight at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Kohli forced Gayle and de Villiers to repeat the slogan during a live broadcast. In order to create a fantastic moment for both the audience at the venue and those watching it live on television, the three, who had been with the brand for a number of years through thick and thin, repeated the iconic statement together on air.

E sala cup namdu #esalacupnamdu kohli #gayle #abd #ipl pic.twitter.com/W6YEpsSpHl

— Harish.H (@Harishhalebeedu) June 3, 2025

Prior to this unique occasion, Kohli opened up about his feelings and what it meant to him to win the championship after so many seasons of chasing the prized trophy in vain, with Gayle and de Villiers as his only constants.

Since I spent my prime years with Gayle and de Villiers, I know how hard we worked to win this, which is why I find it so special to be able to share it with them. Our team had that explosiveness, but we were never able to go over the line, and we are all devastated because we gave our best years to this club and we sincerely, sincerely wanted to win that championship for RCB. In an emotional post-match interview with Star Sports, Kohli said, “I assure you, this feels ten times more special just because these two are standing next to us.”

Kohli, who finished the 2025 Indian Premier League with 657 runs in 15 innings, admitted that Gayle and de Villiers deserved the trophy as much as he did because of their long-standing relationship with Bengaluru and the Garden City’s RCB supporters.

Since it’s the link you see when they visit Bengaluru, the title is truly as much theirs as it is mine. I’m not alone. I know people are emotional and can get carried away, but these two guys have given it everything, so it’s equally theirs too,” Kohli continued. “When they come (to the city), you see how people love them, and they go completely berserk because they know and appreciate that they’ve given their heart and soul for this team until they played here, and they deserve it as much as I do.”

at seven seasons (2011–2017) and eleven seasons (2011–2021), respectively, Gayle and de Villiers played at RCB. Both athletes had incredible success and left their marks on the franchise’s history.