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August 17, 2024
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), also known as Royal Challengers Bengaluru, is a professional cricket team based in Bangalore, Karnataka, that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Founded in 2008 by United Spirits, the team is named after the company’s liquor brand, Royal Challenge. Their home ground is the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
RCB has reached the IPL finals three times (2009, 2011, and 2016) and has qualified for the playoffs nine times in their seventeen-season history. They were also runners-up in the 2011 Champions League Twenty20. Valued at $69.8 million, RCB is among the most valuable franchises in the IPL. As of 2024, the team is led by captain Faf du Plessis and coached by Andy Flower. RCB holds two notable IPL records: the lowest total score in an innings (49 against Kolkata Knight Riders) and the highest total conceded (287 against Sunrisers Hyderabad).
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had a tough start to the season, losing seven of their first eight matches. Despite this challenging beginning, they turned things around by winning their next six games and securing a spot in the playoffs. However, in the Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals, RCB lost by four wickets and fell short of winning the trophy again. Virat Kohli was a standout performer, winning the Orange Cap for the highest run-scorer with 741 runs, while Yash Dayal led the team in wickets with 15.
In August 2019, Simon Katich took over as the head coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), replacing Gary Kirsten, while Mike Hesson was appointed the director of cricket operations. After the 2020 IPL auction, RCB released several players, including Colin de Grandhomme and Dale Steyn, and acquired new players, such as Aaron Finch and Chris Morris. The 2020 season was postponed due to COVID-19 and was held in the UAE. RCB qualified for the playoffs, finishing fourth with 14 points, but lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. Devdutt Padikkal was the top run-scorer with 473 runs, and Yuzvendra Chahal led the wicket-taking charts with 21 wickets.
In the 2021 IPL auction, RCB added Glenn Maxwell and Kyle Jamieson to their squad. The season was suspended due to a COVID-19 outbreak and resumed in the UAE, with Simon Katich resigning and Mike Hesson stepping in as head coach. RCB finished fourth again but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator. Harshal Patel took 32 wickets, tying the record for the most wickets in a season, and Glenn Maxwell was the top run-scorer with 513 runs. This season also marked the end of AB de Villiers’s IPL career as he announced his retirement.
For the 2022 season, Faf du Plessis was named the new captain, replacing Virat Kohli, and Sanjay Bangar became the head coach. RCB signed key players like Wanindu Hasaranga and Dinesh Karthik. The league expanded to 10 teams, and RCB reached Qualifier 2 but lost to Rajasthan Royals. Du Plessis was the team’s highest run-scorer with 468 runs, and Hasaranga took the most wickets with 26. In the 2023 season, RCB added players like Reece Topley and Will Jacks but finished sixth, missing out on the playoffs. Faf du Plessis was the top run-scorer, and Mohammed Siraj led in wickets.
The original Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) logo featured a yellow RC emblem on a red circular base surrounded by the text “Royal Challengers Bangalore.” The logo also included a crown with a roaring lion, inspired by the Royal Challenge logo. In 2009, yellow was replaced with gold, and a dotted white circle was added around the emblem.
In 2016, the logo was redesigned with black as a secondary color, a more giant lion emblem, and the shield removal. For Game for Green matches, RCB uses an alternate logo with green plants surrounding it and the “Game for Green” text below.
In 2020, RCB introduced a new logo with a more enormous lion and a returning crown without the RC emblem.
In 2008, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) jersey colors were red and golden yellow, matching the unofficial Kannada flag. Player names were printed in white and numbers in black. In subsequent seasons, yellow was replaced with gold, and in 2010, blue was added as a tertiary color. The 2014 jersey saw a shift, with blue becoming more prominent than gold, and player names and numbers began to be printed in gold. By 2015, a yellower shade of gold was used, and black replaced blue as the tertiary color in 2016. From then on, RCB used two versions of the jersey: one for home matches and one for away.
In 2020, the team discontinued the home and away jerseys. It introduced a darker shade of blue, adopting a design similar to the previous home version. The 2022 jersey featured deep blue as the primary color with gold accents, and red was used predominantly for trousers. For “Game for Green” matches, RCB replaced red with green, and in 2020, they wore sky-blue kits to honor COVID-19 frontline workers.
Reebok made the team’s kits from 2008 to 2014, followed by Adidas in 2015. Zeven supplied the kits from 2016 to 2019, Wrogn in 2020, and Puma has been the official kit manufacturer since 2021.
The rivalry between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is among the IPL’s most storied. In their inaugural match 2008, KKR defeated RCB by 140 runs, thanks to Brendon McCullum’s explosive 158*. RCB won both encounters in 2009, with Ross Taylor playing a pivotal role in one victory. In the 2012 season, KKR’s Gautam Gambhir scored 93 to help his team win. In their next match, Lakshmipathy Balaji’s 4/18 led KKR to another victory over RCB.
In recent years, the rivalry has seen several thrilling encounters. In 2015, KKR’s Andre Russell starred in a rain-affected 10-over match, and in 2017, RCB was bowled out for a record-low 49 by KKR. The 2019 season saw Virat Kohli’s and AB de Villiers’s strong performances nearly lead RCB to victory. Still, KKR’s Andre Russell secured the win. In their subsequent clash, Kohli’s century and Moeen Ali’s rapid 66 helped RCB win despite an intense fight from KKR’s Nitish Rana and Andre Russell.
The rivalry between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore is fueled by the Kaveri River water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Known as the “Kaveri derby,” “Southern derby,” or “South Indian derby,” this rivalry reflects the broader regional tensions. The most notable clash between the two teams occurred in the 2011 IPL final, where Chennai Super Kings defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the championship.
Another key rivalry for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is with the Hyderabad franchises, first with the Deccan Chargers and now with Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Deccan Chargers won six of their eleven matches against RCB. At the same time, Sunrisers Hyderabad currently leads with twelve wins to RCB. This rivalry has often impacted RCB’s campaigns: in 2009 and 2016, they were defeated by the Chargers and Sunrisers, respectively, in the IPL finals. In the 2020 season, Sunrisers knocked RCB out of the tournament in the Eliminator.
The rivalry continued to shape RCB’s fortunes in 2021 and 2022. Sunrisers, who did not make the playoffs in 2021, defeated RCB and pushed them into the Eliminator, losing them to KKR. In 2022, Sunrisers won by 9 wickets against RCB, further affecting their campaign. In the IPL 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad broke RCB’s record for the highest score twice. They first surpassed the 263-run record set by Chris Gayle with a score of 287, led by Travis Head’s 39-ball century and Heinrich Klassen’s 30-ball 67. Despite a strong effort from RCB’s Dinesh Karthik and Faf du Plessis, RCB lost by 25 runs. Sunrisers later set an all-time T20 record by scoring 125 runs in the powerplay against Delhi Capitals, breaking RCB’s record for the third time with a score of 266.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Batters: Faf Du Plessis, Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash S Prabhudessai, Will Jacks and Saurav Chauhan
Royal Challengers Bengaluru All-Rounders: Gleen Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Karn Sharma, Cameron Green, Swapnil Singh, Mayank Dagar, and Manoj Bhandage
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Bowlers: Akash Deep, Alzarri Joseph, Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, Tom Curran, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar and Vyshak Vijay Kumar
In IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) secured a spot in the top four, showcasing a solid performance throughout the season. Their journey to the playoffs was marked by crucial victories, with standout performances from key players. In the Qualifier 1 match, RCB faced off against the Gujarat Titans. Despite a competitive game, the Titans emerged victorious, pushing RCB to the Eliminator round. RCB secured a win against the Rajasthan Royals, ensuring their place in the Qualifier 2. This strong finish underscored RCB’s resilience and talent, positioning them as one of the season’s top contenders.
Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for The Wicket Insider, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.
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