Royal Challengers Bangalore

Introduction to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

The Indian Premier League is one of the premier cricketing tournaments in India. Royal Challengers Bangalore is yet another founding franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Bangalore-based team has had a star-studded lineup since the first season. Despite reaching the finals in 2009, 2011, and 2016, the team is yet to win the coveted IPL trophy.

The team's devoted fan base, known as 'the 12th man army,' has never failed to support them, come what may. Royal Challengers Bangalore is one of the tournament's most prominent and widely recognised teams.

Overview of Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore is one of IPL's most valuable franchises, having a brand value of $75 million. Vijay Mallya's United Spirits Limited bought the franchise for US$111.6 million and named it after its liquor brand Royal Challenge.

The team's logo is a vertically arranged golden lion on a red-highlighted black banner. The lion represents the team's strength, courage, and drive to succeed, while red and black are the team's colours. The name of the team is displayed on the black flag and Bangalore is on the golden arch below the lion. 

Team History

Seasons 1, 2 and 3 - 2008, 2009 and 2010

Royal Challengers Bangalore performed poorly in 2008 and finished seventh in the points table. The team’s performance improved in 2009, but they lost to Deccan Chargers in the final. RCB reached the semifinal in 2010 but was defeated by the Mumbai Indians.

Seasons 4 and 5 – 2011 and 2012

Royal Challengers Bangalore reached the final in 2011 but was defeated by Chennai Super Kings. The following edition wasn't that great as RCB did not qualify for the playoffs in 2012.

Seasons 6 and 7 - 2013 and 2014

Royal Challengers Bangalore did not qualify for the playoffs in 2013 and 2014.   

Seasons 8 and 9 - 2015 and 2016

It was a better performance in 2015 with the team finishing third after losing the qualifier to Chennai Super Kings. The Royal Challengers Bangalore entered the finals for the third time in 2016. However, they failed to capitalise on it and lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad.  

Seasons 10 and 11 - 2017 and 2018

2017 was marred by dismal performances and low scores, and Royal Challengers Bangalore ended up 8th in the points table. The team ended up 6th in 2018 and did not qualify for the playoffs.

Seasons 12 and 13 - 2019 and 2020

Royal Challengers Bangalore played entertaining cricket but ended up as the last-ranked team in the table in 2019. RCB qualified for the playoffs in 2020 but lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator.

Seasons 14 and 15- 2021 and 2022

RCB lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the eliminator in 2021. A revamped team lost to Rajasthan Royals in the qualifier 2 and exited the tournament in 2022.

Season 16 - 2023

Royal Challengers Bangalore ranked 6th in the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Achievements and Trophies

Royal Challengers Bangalore set a new record for the most successive wins by winning 7 matches in a row in 2011. The team has made it to playoffs on 8 occasions and became runners-up in three of them. RCB has featured in all the editions of the tournament since 2008 and has posted the highest team total in IPL against Pune Warriors in 2013.

Chris Gayle was named the man of the tournament in 2011 and became the highest run scorer in 2012, in which an IPL century is also included. He became the first player to hit 3 centuries in IPL in 2012. Virat Kohli became the first player to score 6000 IPL runs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore - Squad List: 

Coach: Sanjay Bangar

Captain: Faf du Plessis

Vice-Captain:  Virat Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore – Player Profiles

Faf Du Plessis

The right-handed batsman debuted in 2012 and became the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022. A perfect cricketing package, Du Plessis can bowl leg-spin and is an excellent fielder to boot. In his 130-match IPL career, he has 4133 runs to his name.

Rajat Patidar

The right-handed batsman made his debut in 2021 and quickly amassed 404 runs in 12 IPL matches which includes a century.

Virat Kohli

The veteran run machine has been a loyal member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore since 2008. Kohli's batting prowess is well-known across the globe, and the aggressive cricketer has 7263 runs from 237 IPL matches which includes 3 centuries. He has 4 wickets from his occasional bowling, and his agility on the field is unmatched.

Anuj Rawat

This wicketkeeper-batsman has played only 19 matches scoring 220 runs since his debut in 2021.

Dinesh Karthik

The most experienced wicketkeeper-batsman, Dinesh Karthik, has been a permanent fixture in IPL since 2008. In his career, spanning 242 games, he has amassed 4516 runs.

Suyash. S. Prabhudessai

The batsman debuted in 2022 and has 102 runs from 10 matches.

Glen Maxwell

The destructive Australian all-rounder has 2719 runs and 31 wickets from 124 matches and is an active fielder too.

Mahipal Lomror

The all-rounder has played in 30 IPL matches since 2018 and has scored 402 runs and scalped a wicket.

Karn Sharma

The all-rounder has played 75 IPL matches since his debut in 2013 and has 369 runs and 69 wickets.

Cameroon Green

The promising Australian all-rounder debuted in 2023 and has 16 IPL matches, 6 wickets, 452 runs and a century under his belt.

Swapnil Singh

The all-rounder has scored 2 runs in 2 matches since 2023.

Mayank Dagar

The all-rounder has 1 wicket from 3 IPL matches since 2023.

Akash Deep

The medium pacer has played 7 matches and has 17 runs and 6 wickets to his credit since 2022.

Alzarri Joseph

The bowler debuted in 2018 and has 20 wickets and 27 runs from 19 matches.

Lockie Ferguson

The New Zealand bowler has 37 wickets and 67 runs from his 37 IPL matches since 2017. 

Mohammed Siraj

The young aggressive fast bowler has broken into the ranks rapidly since his debut in 2017 and has played 79 matches and claimed 78 wickets at an average of 29.83. 

Yash Dayal

The left-handed medium pacer has 13 wickets from 14 matches since 2022. 

Tom Curran

The bowler who debuted in 2018 has played 13 matches, captured 13 wickets and scored 127 runs.  

Reece Topley

The England bowler has played 1 match and has 1 wicket in IPL in 2023. 

Himanshu Sharma

This fast bowler has played one match in 2023.

Will Jacks, Saurav Chauhan, Manoj Bhandage, Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Rajan Kumar are yet to make their IPL debut.

Conclusion

Royal Challengers Bangalore is an iconic IPL franchise that has captivated cricket audiences with its excellence on the field. The team, despite the numerous challenges on the field, have displayed cricketing brilliance and enthusiasm regularly.

RCB enjoys unwavering support from their fans who continuously cheer them on. Still on the hunt for that elusive first trophy, RCB as a team is striving hard. Royal Challengers Bangalore marches on with renewed hope into the 17th season of IPL in 2024 to achieve this feat.