Star Indian batter Virat Kohli took 18 seasons to win his first IPL title when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) won the trophy in the 2025 season. They defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the final.

Virat Kohli played a key role and was the top run-scorer for RCB this season. He scored 657 runs in 15 games, with an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, including eight half-centuries.

Kohli had come close to winning the title three times when RCB reached the finals in 2009, 2011, and 2016, but he could not win the trophy. Overall, he has scored 8,661 runs in 267 IPL matches, with an average of 39.54, including eight centuries and 63 fifties.

While it took him 18 years to win the IPL, several players were lucky enough to win the trophy much earlier. This also includes players who were part of winning teams but did not make a big contribution themselves.

Here are five Indian players you may not know who won the IPL before Virat Kohli:

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5. RP Singh – Deccan Chargers, IPL 2012

Former India pacer RP Singh made his IPL debut in 2008 with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. The next season, in 2009, he won the league as Deccan Chargers beat RCB by six runs in the final.

Batting first, they scored 143/6 and then restricted the opposition to 137/9. RP Singh bowled four overs and gave just 16 runs while taking one wicket. Virat Kohli also played in that final and scored seven runs. The left-arm pacer was important throughout the season and ended as the highest-wicket taker with 23 wickets, winning the 'Purple Cap'.

4. Wriddhiman Saha – Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2011

Former wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2011 and was in the final against RCB. He did not bat in the final but still won the title as CSK beat RCB by 58 runs. That season, Saha batted in three innings and scored 68 runs, with a top score of 46 not out. Virat Kohli scored 35 runs in the 2011 final. Saha had a good season with 557 runs from 16 games at an average of 46.41, including four fifties, but could not win the trophy before the final.

3. Jaydev Unadkat – Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2012

Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat was part of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) when they won the IPL in 2012. KKR beat CSK by five wickets in a close final. CSK scored 190/3 batting first, and KKR chased it down in the last over. Unadkat did not play in the final and played only one game that season, giving 32 runs in three overs without taking a wicket. Even so, he became an IPL winner. He also played with Virat Kohli in 2013 when Unadkat joined RCB.

2.  Unmukt Chand – Mumbai Indians, IPL 2015

Former India batter and Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand won the IPL before Virat Kohli. He was part of Mumbai Indians (MI) when they won the league in 2015. MI beat CSK by 41 runs in the final. Unmukt Chand did not play in the final. He played six matches that season and scored 102 runs at an average of 20.40, including one half-century. He last played in the IPL in 2016 for MI, after which he was released and never returned to the league.

1. Cheteshwar Pujara – Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2021

Veteran Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara, who recently retired from all Indian cricket, also won the IPL before Virat Kohli. Pujara was bought by CSK in 2021 for ₹50 lakh. They beat KKR in the final by 27 runs. Pujara did not play any game that season but became an IPL champion. He had returned to the league after 2014. Pujara played alongside Virat Kohli when Kohli was part of RCB from 2011 to 2013. He was released after 2021 and never played in the IPL again.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was stated to be the best batter of the five-match Test series between England and India as he started in a great fashion with a century and an 85-run knock in the first couple of fixtures. But his form has suddenly gone down in the last five innings after Jofra Archer squared him up at Lord’s on both occasions.

Jaiswal has scored 293 runs in nine innings at an average of 32.56, and that’s another example of how he started a trip well but found his form going down, exactly like it happened during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 down under. The former India opener, Ajay Jadeja, shed light on what had been going wrong.

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‘At the start, whenever he has failed, his feet come early to where he wants to go. So when the ball comes, the bat should go towards the ball. But with the wrong stance, even when the straight ball is coming, it doesn’t meet the ball in the right direction. So that’s the moment when you start doing that even before taking his feet forward, and that’s more of a mindset than a technique.’ Ajay Jadeja reckoned on Sony Sports.

Watch: India veterans examine Yashasvi Jaiswal’s batting stance during ENG vs IND 2025 series

‘I have experienced it, and I had the same word on Karun Nair. He doesn’t have issues with the short ball, but once you put your feet up, then you hardly have any choice. Then you have to use the hand only.’ Jadeja addressed.

Yashasvi Jaiswal's stance under the microscope 🧐🔬#SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings pic.twitter.com/KeHyY86b9J

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) July 31, 2025

Jaiswal has lost his Test average of 50 as he has collected 2091 runs in 45 innings at 48.63. At Oval, he missed the nip-backer from Gus Atkinson to get wrapped onto the pads as the successful DRS from the home side forced the umpire to raise his finger.

‘The problem is around the heel and toe. If you have gone onto the heel, you can adjust the toe. But you can’t go for the vice versa. Once your entire body weight goes into the toe, you can do anything from then on. And that’s happening with Yashasvi Jaiswal, which always happens with the bowlers in maintaining the pace and line-length.’ The former Indian pacer, RP Singh, added.

Former India fast bowler RP Singh questioned skipper Shubman Gill’s decision to hand the new ball to debutant Anshul Kamboj on Day 2 of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. England ended the day at a commanding 225/2 in just 46 overs, having earlier bowled India out for 358. RP Singh felt that the responsibility of opening the bowling should have gone to a more experienced pacer, such as Mohammed Siraj.

Speaking during a discussion on Sony Sports, RP Singh echoed Hemang Badani’s opinion that Kamboj lacked the necessary qualities to be given the new ball in such a crucial match. I agree with Hemang's views that they could have started with Siraj because Anshul Kamboj doesn't have a distinctive bowling action. If Bumrah was playing in his first match, he could have bowled the first over, as he has a different action and style while bowling. Anshul Kamboj is like a traditional bowler," he said.

The former left-arm seamer further explained why debutants often struggle in Test cricket, particularly without express pace or a distinct bowling action. "His bowling action and follow-through are like a normal bowler. He doesn't have express speed either. A new bowler can bowl the first or second over if there is some surprise element. It's very difficult for a new bowler to perform well in Tests. Tests test your skill, patience, and discipline properly, which are not seen that much in a new bowler," RP Singh explained.

RP Singh highlights lack of discipline and poor conditions for Indian seamers

RP Singh also discussed the Indian seamers' struggle with line and length, especially as conditions began to favor batting. He pointed out that England’s bowlers adapted better in the morning, whereas India’s pacers lacked the same control and intent. "The way England bowled in the morning, it was in their minds that the ball would move a lot here, but that didn't happen. There could be many reasons for that. One is that generally more runs are scored between Lunch and Tea, and the sun was also out. The conditions were no longer overcast," he said.

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He further noted that weather interruptions and moisture affected the Indian bowlers' rhythm. "There was slight rain in between. When it has rained, the problem is that the ball starts skidding a little after pitching, and it becomes difficult to maintain the ball when it goes into the outfield. The Indian bowlers were bowling an attacking line, and the conditions weren't supporting them. They didn't show patience and discipline. It took the bowlers a long time to figure that out," RP Singh concluded.