IPL final 2025: Rapper Drake wages Dh2.75 million bet on this team winning title

Dubai: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s fans have waited 17 long years to lift the Indian Premier League trophy. After three failed missions in the final — 2009, 2011 and 2016 — the belief in the phrase “Ee sala cup namde” has been tested year after year.

The Kannada slogan, meaning “This year, the cup is ours,” has almost become a punchline. But in 2025, it just might be prophecy.

RCB face Punjab Kings tonight in the final at Ahmedabad — a clash that guarantees a new IPL champion. While Punjab are also chasing their first title, it’s the Bengaluru faithful who feel this might finally be their time. The team has found form and momentum at the right time, knocking off Punjab in Qualifier 1, and they head into the decider with a balanced XI full of match-winners.

And it’s not just fans who are backing RCB. Canadian rapper Drake has sent social media into meltdown after placing a massive bet on Virat Kohli’s team to win. On Tuesday, Drake shared a screenshot of his $750,000 wager — roughly Dh2.75 million (Rs64 million) — on RCB to win the IPL 2025 final.

At odds of 1.75, the bet could fetch him a cool $1.3 million. But what really got fans talking was his caption: “Ee sala cup namde.”

While the phrase confused some of his American followers, Indian fans were quick to embrace him as an honorary RCB supporter. Memes, jokes, and celebratory posts flooded the internet, with some joking that even Drake had caught the Ee sala fever.

Off the field, though, there’s still tension in the air — quite literally. A 61% chance of rain threatens to disrupt the contest in Ahmedabad. The IPL has a reserve day in place, but with dark skies looming and toss timings potentially skewing balance, even the weather might play a part in deciding who takes the cup home.

On the field, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who has often saved his best for the biggest nights. His showdown with former RCB teammate Yuzvendra Chahal could shape the innings. Punjab, led by Shreyas Iyer, will need a near-perfect effort to stop a surging RCB.

But win or lose, one thing is certain — for the first time in IPL history, either RCB or Punjab will walk away with the trophy.

And if Drake’s bet is anything to go by, Ee sala just might finally live up to the hype.