Over the years, Royal Challengers Bangalore have carved a niche as perennial under-achievers. The IPL trophy has eluded them for 13 seasons, but RCB has been home to several great players. In this article, we will look at an all-time RCB XI.
1. Chris Gayle
Matches: 85; Runs: 3163; Average: 43.33; Strike Rate: 152.73 Chris Gayle has played for three different IPL teams in his career, but he was an unstoppable force during his time at RCB. He scored five hundreds in an RCB shirt, including a monstrous 175* against Pune Warriors, India. He was also occasionally deployed as a part-time bowler and picked up 13 wickets at an economy of 7.55.
2. Devdutt Padikkal
Matches: 21 ; Runs : 668 ; Average : 33.40 ; Strike Rate : 131.75
Padikkal has played only one full season for RCB, yet finds himself at the top of this list due to his consistent performances. KL Rahul and Parthiv Patel were Padikkal’s competition for an opening slot in this list. But Rahul scored only 417 runs for RCB while Patel’s runs came at a lower average than that of Padikkal.
3. Virat Kohli(c)
Matches: 191 ; Runs : 6076 ; Average : 37.98 ; Strike Rate : 130.41
The Indian skipper should be the first pick in an all-time RCB XI, as he has been the face of RCB for over a decade. For all of his success as a batsman, he is yet to win an IPL trophy. Even if he does not win any silverware, there are no signs that he will leave RCB. Kohli’s best season as a captain and a player came in 2016 as he scored 973 runs, including four hundreds.
4. AB de Villiers (WK)
Matches: 148 ; Runs : 4385 ; Average : 42.57 ; Strike Rate : 159.68
AB de Villiers will in an all-time RCB XI even 50 years from now. Very few, if any, can match ABD’s astounding record at RCB. ABD has been RCB’s middle-order lynchpin and often their solo match-winner. His excellent performances this year on a dry Chepauk wicket shows that he still has some fuel left in the tank.
5. Ross Taylor
Matches: 22 ; Runs : 517 ; Average : 30.41 ; Strike Rate : 142.03
Taylor had an outstanding IPL campaign in 2008 as he scored 149 runs at a strike rate of 183. He played a few decisive innings in the next two seasons, including a 33 ball 81* versus Kolkata Knight Riders. In the IPL, Taylor played his best cricket at RCB and underperformed severely with other franchises.
6. Mandeep Singh
Matches: 40 ; Runs : 597 ; Average : 22.11 ; Strike Rate : 128.94
From 2015-2018, Mandeep Singh was used as a floater by Kohli. Mandeep was required to play second fiddle to RCB’s batting stalwarts, and he did the role perfectly on most occasions. Since his departure, RCB has struggled to find a solid lower-order batsman.
7. Washington Sundar
Matches: 31 ; Runs : 208 ; Average : 13.87 ; Strike Rate : 113.66 ; Wickets : 19 ; Economy : 7.17
Sundar is probably the closest RCB have come to solving their Indian all-rounder woes. His returns look even more impressive as he bowls most of his overs in the power-play. If he improves his power-hitting skills, he will become a mainstay at RCB in the future.
8. Zaheer Khan
Matches: 44; Wickets: 49; Economy: 7.86 In 2008, Zaheer played for RCB and picked up 13 wickets. He returned to RCB two seasons later and played an important role in their run to the final. 2012 was his career-best IPL season as he picked up 17 wickets at an economy of 7.55.
9. Vinay Kumar
Matches: 64; Wickets: 72; Economy: 8.38 An under-rated RCB star, Vinay Kumar, was a solid wicket-taker for much of his time in a redshirt. His first three seasons with RCB were less than impressive, and RCB released him before the 2011 IPL auction. He came back to RCB before the 2012 IPL and picked up 23 wickets in the 2013 IPL.
10. Anil Kumble
Matches: 42 ; Wickets: 45; Economy: 6.58 Kumble did not have a great IPL in 2008 but bounced back spectacularly in 2009. He picked 21 wickets at an economy rate of 5.86 and captained his team to the final. He represented RCB in just three editions, but his economy rate makes him an automatic pick.
11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Matches: 105; Wickets: 126; Economy: 7.70 Chahal is undoubtedly RCB’s greatest ever bowler, as evident by his wicket-tally. He has picked up more than 20 wickets in a single season three times, most recently in IPL 2020. His economy rate was questioned in the IPL 2021 but expect him to bounce back strongly when the IPL resumes in the UAE.
