RCB - Royal Challengers Bangalore

Introduction

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (often abbreviated as RCB) is an Indian Premier League franchise cricket team based in Bengaluru, Karnataka (IPL). United Spirits founded it in 2008 and named it after the company's spirits brand Royal Challenge. The Royal Challengers did not win the IPL but finished second three times between 2009 and 2016. The team holds the IPL records for both the highest and lowest totals - 263/5 and 49, respectively.

Table of Content

• History of Franchise
• Team History 
• Team Player
• Identity of Team 
• Home Ground 
• Interesting Facts 
• Conclusion
• How to book a personalised video message from a celebrity on Tring?

History of Franchise 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced in September 2007 the formation of the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 competition that would begin in 2008. On February 20, 2008, the teams for the competition, representing eight different cities in India, including Bangalore, were auctioned off in Mumbai. Vijay Mallya paid 111.6 million US dollars for the Bangalore franchise. This was the second-highest bid for a team, trailing only Reliance Industries' US$111.9 million bid for the Mumbai Indians. According to a Duff & Phelps survey, Royal Challengers Bangalore's brand value in 2019 was estimated to be 595 crores (US$75 million).

Team History 

2008- 2010: Initial Stage 

2008

The inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finish seventh out of eight teams. Despite having a star-studded lineup including Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Mark Boucher, the team struggled to find consistency and ended the tournament with just four wins from 14 matches.

2009

RCB made some changes to their team ahead of the 2009 season, bringing in Kevin Pietersen to strengthen their batting lineup. The changes paid off, as the team finished second in the league stage with seven wins from 14 matches. However, they lost to the eventual champions, Deccan Chargers, in the semi-finals.

2010

Under Kumble's captaincy, the Royal Challengers finished the regular season with seven wins from 14 matches and 14 points. They were one of four teams tied on 14 points, with two semifinal spots up for grabs; they qualified for the semifinals because their net run rate was higher than that of the Delhi Daredevils and the Kolkata Knight Riders. The Royal Challengers were defeated by the Mumbai Indians by 35 runs in the semifinals. The Royal Challengers qualified for the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 after a convincing nine-wicket win over the defending champions Deccan Chargers in the third-place playoff. Kumble retired at the end of the Champions League after leading the team to the semifinals of both the IPL and the Champions League.

2011 - 2012: IPL and League Finals Campaign 

2011

The team had a strong squad and was captained by Indian batsman, Virat Kohli. However, they had a mixed performance throughout the season.

The 2011 season started on a good note for RCB as they won their first two games against Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Mumbai Indians. But then they went on to lose their next four matches against Pune Warriors India, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Super Kings, and Rajasthan Royals. The team's performance picked up again in the later part of the season as they won five out of their last eight matches. They finished the league stage at fourth position and qualified for the playoffs. In the playoffs, RCB faced Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier but lost the match by six wickets. They then played the second qualifier against Mumbai Indians and won the match by 43 runs to set up a final showdown against Chennai Super Kings. In the final, RCB put up a decent total of 156 runs on the board but Chennai chased it down with two balls to spare, thus denying RCB their first IPL trophy.

2012

The 2012 season started with RCB winning their first game against Delhi Daredevils, but they lost the next three games against Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai Indians. The team's fortunes turned around in the latter half of the season as they won seven out of their last nine matches. RCB finished the league stage in fifth position and missed out on the playoffs by a small margin.

2013 - 2015:  Kohli's intermediate seasons and captaincy

2013

2013 was a disappointing year for RCB as they finished fifth in the standings, failing to qualify for the playoffs. Despite having the likes of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli in their batting lineup, the team struggled to put up consistent performances throughout the season. In addition, their bowling unit lacked the firepower to contain opposition teams, which resulted in a number of high-scoring games.

2014

The team management took some bold decisions ahead of the 2014 season, including the appointment of Daniel Vettori as the head coach. The team also made some key acquisitions in the player auction, including Yuvraj Singh and Mitchell Starc. The changes seemed to work as RCB had a much better season, finishing third in the standings and qualifying for the playoffs. Kohli had a breakthrough season, scoring 634 runs at an average of 45.28, while de Villiers continued to be a vital cog in the batting lineup. Starc was the team's leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets, while Varun Aaron and Yuzvendra Chahal also chipped in with crucial contributions.

In the playoffs, RCB faced Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator, but were comprehensively beaten by the eventual champions. Nevertheless, it was a promising season for the team, who showed that they could be a force to reckon with in the IPL.

2015

The 2015 season saw RCB make some more big signings in the player auction, including Dinesh Karthik and Darren Sammy. The team got off to a shaky start, losing three of their first four matches. However, they soon found their groove and went on a five-match winning streak, with Kohli and de Villiers leading the charge with some stunning batting displays. The team also received a boost with the arrival of Chris Gayle, who had missed the first few matches due to an injury.

RCB finished the league stage in third place once again, but this time they made it to the final after defeating Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in the playoffs. In the final, they faced Mumbai Indians, but despite a valiant effort from Kohli, who scored a brilliant century, RCB fell short by 41 runs. Nevertheless, it was a memorable season for the team, who had played some scintillating cricket throughout the tournament

2016

The 2016 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was one of the most successful campaigns for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Led by their captain Virat Kohli, the team made it to the final but lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The season was a memorable one for RCB, with several standout performances from their star players. Kohli had a record-breaking season, scoring 973 runs in just 16 matches, including four centuries and seven half-centuries. AB de Villiers was also in fine form, scoring 687 runs at a strike rate of 168.79.

RCB's bowling, which had been a weak point in previous seasons, also improved significantly. Yuzvendra Chahal was the team's leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets, while Shane Watson and Chris Jordan provided valuable support.

In the playoffs, RCB defeated Gujarat Lions in the first qualifier to book their spot in the final. However, they were unable to overcome a strong Sunrisers Hyderabad side, losing by eight runs in a closely fought match.

Despite not winning the trophy, RCB's performances in the 2016 season were widely praised, and the team received significant support from their fans. Kohli's outstanding form earned him the Player of the Tournament award, while Chahal was named the Emerging Player of the Tournament. The team's success in the season helped establish RCB as one of the top teams in the IPL.

2017

In 2017, RCB had a disappointing season as they finished last in the points table. Despite having a strong batting lineup consisting of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle, RCB struggled to win games due to their weak bowling attack. They won only three out of their 14 matches and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

2018

In the 2018 season, RCB made some changes to their squad, including the appointment of Gary Kirsten as the head coach. The team had a good start, winning four out of their first six matches. However, they suffered a setback when Kohli got injured and was ruled out of a few games. Despite this, de Villiers and Brendon McCullum stepped up and guided RCB to five wins in their first nine games. RCB had a chance to qualify for the playoffs if they won their last game against Rajasthan Royals, but they lost the game by 30 runs and finished sixth in the points table.

2019

In 2019, RCB once again made some changes to their squad, including the appointment of Simon Katich as the head coach. They had a disastrous start to the season, losing their first six matches. Kohli and de Villiers were once again the top performers for RCB, but their bowling attack was a major concern. Despite the poor start, RCB managed to win five out of their last eight games and finished at the bottom of the points table.

2020

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) had a mixed bag of results in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 season. The team finished the league stage with seven wins and seven losses, narrowly missing out on a spot in the playoffs due to net run rate. Led by the charismatic Virat Kohli, RCB had a strong start to the season, winning five of their first seven matches. However, they suffered a slump in form towards the end of the league stage, losing four of their last six matches.

One of the highlights of RCB's season was the performance of their star batsman, AB de Villiers. The South African was in scintillating form throughout the season, scoring 454 runs in 15 innings at an average of 45.40 and a strike rate of 158.74. He played some breathtaking knocks, including an unbeaten 73 off just 33 balls against the Kolkata Knight Riders. RCB's bowling unit also had its moments, with the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini, and Chris Morris impressing with their performances. However, the team struggled to find consistency in their bowling, which proved to be their undoing in several matches.

2021

They expanded their roster during the IPL Auction by bringing in Glenn Maxwell, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Sachin Baby, Kyle Jamieson, Srikar Bharat, Rajat Patidar, Dan Christian, Suyash Prabhudessai, and Finn Allen. This was AB de Villiers' final season, as he announced his retirement on November 19, 2021. The Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered the same fate as the previous season. They were unable to reclaim the trophy after losing to the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator. Harshal Patel emerged as the team's new hero during the season, finishing with 32 wickets, equaling Dwayne Bravo's IPL record for most wickets taken in a single season (CSK). Harshal Patel was named Purple Cap winner for the season. Glenn Maxwell led the team in run scoring with 513 runs (fifth highest in the season).  Virat Kohli became the first batter in IPL history to score 6000 runs during the season.

2022

Before the start of the 2022 season, star batter AB de Villiers announced his retirement in November 2021, and RCB announced a new captain, Faf du Plessis, after former captain Virat Kohli announced his retirement from captaincy following the second leg of the 2021 IPL season. Sanjay Bangar was also named as the new head coach.The season saw the addition of two new teams, bringing the total to ten. RCB finally made it past the eliminator stage after losing consecutively in the previous two seasons, but they were unable to win the title after losing to Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2. Faf du Plessis, the team's highest scorer, finished the season with 468 runs as the new captain. The 2022 season was one of the worst for their former captain and star batter, Virat Kohli, who failed to reach the 350-run mark, scoring only 341 runs with an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.98. With 26 wickets, Wanindu Hasaranga led the team in wicket taking.

2023

In the auction ahead of the 2023 season, RCB acquired Reece Topley, Will Jacks, Rajan Kumar, Avinash Singh, Sonu Yadav, Himanshu Sharma, and Manoj Bhadange.

Team Player

Virat Kohli:  Virat Kohli is a prominent Indian cricketer, he was also the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world and has numerous records to his name. He made his IPL debut for RCB in 2008 and has been a part of the franchise ever since. Kohli has been one of the most consistent performers for RCB, having scored over 6000 runs for the team in the IPL. He has also led RCB to the IPL finals in 2016 but the team lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. Kohli's leadership and batting prowess make him a valuable asset for RCB and the Indian cricket team.

Faf Du Plessis: Faf du Plessis is a South African cricketer who played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2021 season. He is a top-order batsman and an occasional right-arm leg-spin bowler. Du Plessis has been a part of the IPL since 2012, having represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for several seasons before joining RCB in 2021. He has been a consistent performer in the IPL, having scored over 2000 runs at an average of 32.92. In the 2021 season, du Plessis played an important role in RCB's batting lineup, scoring 320 runs in 7 matches with an impressive strike rate of 145.45. Du Plessis' experience and batting skills make him a valuable addition to any team and he is highly regarded in the world of cricket.

Harshal Patel:  Harshal Patel is an Indian cricketer who plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a useful lower-order batsman. Patel has been a part of the IPL since 2012, having represented Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), and Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) before joining RCB in 2021. In the 2021 season, Patel had a breakthrough performance, finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 32 wickets in 15 matches. He was instrumental in RCB's campaign, with his variations in pace and swing troubling the opposition batsmen. Patel's impressive performance earned him the Purple Cap, which is awarded to the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. His consistent performances and ability to take wickets at crucial moments make him a valuable asset for RCB and he is expected to play a crucial role in the team's future campaigns.

Wanindu Hasaranga: RCB Wanindu Hasaranga is a professional cricketer from Sri Lanka who currently plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is a right-arm leg-spin bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman. Hasaranga made his international debut for Sri Lanka in September 2017 and has since become a regular member of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He has played in all three formats of the game and is known for his accuracy, variations, and ability to pick up wickets. In the 2021 IPL auction, Hasaranga was bought by the RCB for INR 1.5 crores. He is expected to be a key player for the team in the upcoming season and could provide a valuable spin option in the middle overs.

Identity of team 

Logo:

Initially, the logo featured the RC emblem in yellow on a circular red background, with the black text 'Royal Challengers Bangalore' in standard format surrounding the circular logo. The RC crown emblem, with the roaring lion on top, was adapted from the original Royal Challenge logo. Except for the replacement of the colour yellow with gold in 2009, no significant changes were made to the logo's design. A dotted white circle encircled the RC emblem in this logo as well. For Game for Green matches, the team also uses an alternate logo with green plants surrounding the logo and the text Game for Green below the logo. In 2016, the logo was redesigned with black as a secondary colour. In the new design, the lion emblem in the crest was enlarged, and the shield was removed. In 2020, a new logo with a larger lion and the crown from the previous logo was unveiled. For this crest, the RC emblem was omitted.

Jersey:

In 2008, the team's jersey colours were red and golden yellow, the same as the unofficial Kannada flag, with player names printed in white and numbers printed in black on the back. In subsequent seasons, yellow was replaced by gold. Beginning in 2010, blue was introduced as a tertiary colour on clothing. Every season, the jersey design was tweaked, with the most notable being the one for 2014, in which blue dominated over gold. The player names and numbers have been printed in gold since 2014. As of 2015, the jerseys were a more yellowish shade of gold.

In 2016, black replaced blue as the tertiary colour. Also beginning in 2016, two versions of the jersey were worn, one for home games and the other for away games. Until 2019, the kit's design remained unchanged. In 2020, the home and away concept was dropped, and a darker shade of blue replaced black. For 2020 and 2021, a design similar to the previous 'home' version of the jersey was used. In 2022, a completely redesigned jersey with deep blue as the dominant shade and gold accents was used, with red dominating the trousers.

RCB also has a tradition of replacing red with green on their kits for the once-a-season 'Game for Green' matches. In 2020, as a tribute to the COVID-19 frontline workers, RCB played a match with sky-blue jerseys instead of red.

Reebok produced the team's uniforms from 2008 to 2014, and Adidas supplied the uniforms in 2015. From 2016 to 2019, Zeven produced the team's uniforms.  Wrogn produced the kits in 2020, while Puma has been the official kit manufacturer since that year.

Theme Song:

'Jeetenge Hum Shaan Se' was the team's theme song for the 2008 season. 'Game for More,' the team anthem, was written for the 2009 season. Amit Trivedi composed the music, and Anshu Sharma wrote the lyrics. For the 2013 season, a new anthem, 'Here We Go The Royal Challengers,' was written and used until 2015. The anthem 'Play Bold,' composed by Salim-Sulaiman and sung by Siddharth Basrur, was released in 2016 to coincide with the release of the season's jerseys. Anand Bhaskar recomposed and sang the same anthem in six languages for 2017: English, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, and Punjabi.

Ambassador:

Katrina Kaif was the team's brand ambassador in 2008. Deepika Padukone, Ramya, Puneeth Rajkumar, Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, and Ganesh have served as team ambassadors in recent seasons.

Home ground

Play

The Royal Challengers Bangalore play their home matches at the Chinnaswamy stadium.The stadium has a capacity to seat 40,000 spectators and it is the home to the Karnataka state team as well. The innovative ideas that the KSCA has brought into existence when it comes to the stadium is second to none. One such great initiative is the usage of solar panels to generate a major chunk of electricity at the venue. Chinnaswamy stadium was the first stadium in India to incorporate the renewable source of energy.

Interesting Facts 

Royal Challengers Bangalore holds the record for the most IPL centuries scored by any team. The Bangalore-based franchise leads the list of most IPL centuries with 13 from RCB players. Chris Gayle contributed significantly with five IPL tonnes while playing for RCB.

CB has had some of the best strikers in the IPL. With such short boundaries, Bengaluru's players have mastered the art of six-hitting. It's no surprise that RCB has hit the most sixes in the IPL. They certainly top the list of most hits outside the park, with 1131 sixes.

RCB also holds the distinction of having the most 200+ team totals in IPL history. In the past 12 seasons, the team has gone over 200 runs 10 times. RCB fans will be hoping that their team can post many more such totals in a match-winning cause in the upcoming IPL season.

Conclusion 

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is a popular franchise team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) known for their big names and passionate fan base. Despite reaching the final on three occasions, the team has never won the tournament, making them one of the few teams yet to lift the IPL trophy. However, with their talented players and dedicated fans, the RCB remains a team to watch out for in every IPL season.

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