Ahead of IPL 2025, we take a look at the top four knocks by RCB batters in the tournament.
Ever since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, many stars have come and gone but the one constant player in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has been Virat Kohli. However, the three-time runners-up have been about more than just Virat Kohli. These players include the likes of AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, both of whom have established the status of “legends” in the team.
RCB are in fact one franchise that produces near-perfect sides in almost every edition of the IPL but falls short all the time.
As the Rajat Patidar-led side looks to start afresh in IPL 2025 and hopefully end a wait for their maiden title, we take a look at the top four knocks by RCB players in the history of the tournament.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru endured a disappointing season in IPL 2013 after they finished the league stage in fifth place with 18 points. There was, however, one moment in that season which brought the M Chinnaswamy Stadium alive. That was an electrifying knock of 175 off 66 deliveries from Chris Gayle, which came against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India.
The Pune Warriors had won the toss and opted to field first and they would have regretted that soon after. Gayle and Tilakaratne Dilshan (33) opened the batting in that match but the talk of the town was the West Indian. His monstrous knock included 13 fours and as many as 17 sixes as RCB posted 263/5 on the board, which was then the highest-ever team total in the IPL. RCB successfully defended that total as they restricted Pune Warriors India to 133/9 from 20 overs.
Virat Kohli had one of his best seasons with RCB in the IPL last year. He amassed 741 runs last season and went on to clinch the Orange Cap. During a league stage match against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kohli enthralled fans in Jaipur with an unbeaten 113 off 72 balls.
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His knock helped RCB register a total of 183/3 after they were asked to bat first. However, Kohli’s knock went in vain as Jos Buttler (100*) and skipper Sanju Samson (69) made sure the Royals chased down the target with six wickets and five balls to spare.
In an IPL 2016 match against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions, AB de Villiers grabbed the headlines with an unbeaten 129 runs off 52 balls. This was the match where Kohli and De Villiers forged a 229-run stand, which remains the highest partnership in the history of the IPL. The former South Africa batter slammed 10 fours and 12 sixes in that game. RCB won that match by 144 runs, seeing off the Lions for 104 in 18.4 overs.
Rajat Patidar, the newly-appointed RCB skipper, had quite a productive season in the IPL three years ago. He notched up 333 runs from eight matches at a strike rate of 152.75. He scored two fifties in that tournament but it was a century against Lucknow Super Giants that stood out. RCB were 4/1 in the first over when Patidar came out to bat. He got to his century in 49 balls, hitting 11 fours and six sixes in the process. That helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru post 207/4, which they defended by restricting the Super Giants to 193/6.
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