In the IPL, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have nearly always failed to impress. They have never won the IPL, and their shifting fortunes have perplexed experts and fans alike. They have concluded as runners-up in one season and as the lowest-ranked team after the next.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore’s matches against the Kolkata Knight Riders have a reputation for making history.
On April 18, 2008, the two teams met for the first time in the IPL, when RCB was beaten by KKR (222/3) by 140 runs, owing to Brendon McCullum’s blitzkrieg 158*.
Virat Kohli, who had led to the under-19 World Cup triumph earlier that year, made one run as RCB were bowled out for 82 runs in 15.1 overs.
In 2021, Kohli’s tenure as RCB captain ended on a sour note on Monday, as his team lost the Elimination to KKR in Sharjah.
At the commencement of part 2 of the 2021 edition of the IPL in the UAE, Kohli said that he would step down as captain after this season.
Virat Kohli, the batsman, is an entirely different tale in the IPL. Kohli, the IPL’s all-time leading run-scorer, has 6283 runs in 207 IPL matches since entering RCB in the inaugural edition in 2008 and leading them to a runners-up finish in 2016.
Kohli, who took over as RCB captain from Daniel Vettori during the 2013 season, finished with 66 wins and 70 losses in 140 games as the team’s captain.
Here’s how RCB performed under Virat as captain against what Kohli achieved as a batsman.
A Look at The Kohli’s Journey
2013: Virat Kohli got selected RCB captain for the 2013 season, scoring 634 runs in 16 matches. However, the title proved elusive for RCB, who finished fifth in league with 18 points in 16 games.
2014: Virat Kohli made 359 runs in 14 matches during his first complete season as captain, but RCB finished eighth in the league stage. In total, they had ten factors in 14 video games played in 2014.
2015:Â Virat Kohli smashed 505 runs in 16 matches to help RCB reach the playoffs during 2015. In the Eliminator, RCB defeated Rajasthan Royals by 71 runs. Although in Qualifier 2, they got smashed by Chennai Super Kings.
2016:Â This was the season in which Virat Kohli was in his most awe-inspiring form. He scored 973 runs from 16 matches, with an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03.
In that season, the RCB captain smashed as many as four centuries while leading from the front. In Qualifier 1, RCB defeated Gujarat Lions to progress to the final.
However, they got beaten by Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight runs in the final match. Virat got awarded the Orange Cap for being the match’s leading run-scorer.
2017:Â With RCB batting cornerstones Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat Kohli all suffering from injuries, the team’s batting performances deteriorated.
Getting being bowled out for 49 runs in 9.4 overs against their previous rival, the Kolkata Knight Riders, RCB received the lowest rating in IPL history.
Virat made 308 runs in ten games this season, but RCB finished eighth (final) in the league phase with just seven points in 14 games.
2018:Â RCB’s luck nosedived again in 2018 because of the absence of Chris Gayle and an unstable starting XI. Virat Kohli scored 530 runs in 14 matches, and RCB got eliminated from the competition after losing by 30 runs to Rajasthan Royals in the league round.
In 14 games that season, they earned 12 points.
2019:Â The RCB’s fortunes did not improve in the upcoming season. In the season, Virat scored a century and scored overall 464 runs.
RCB got dropped to eighth place in the league phase with 11 points in 14 games, with little help from the rest.
They were equal on points with Rajasthan Royals but finished behind the Royals in NRR.
2020:Â With a new coaching team in place, RCB’s fortunes began to improve, although only a little. On the edge of a top-two finishing, RCB dropped four consecutive games but still managed to make the playoffs with 14 points, defeating KKR in the net run rate battle. However, their journey ended in the Eliminator.
They got defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad and got eliminated from the competition. Last season, Virat scored 466 runs in 15 matches.
2021:Â Speaking of their overall performance, RCB was one of the best teams this season. They made the playoffs once more but were unable to make it into the top two.
And, once again, their journey ended in the Eliminator round, this time following a four-wicket defeat to KKR. Virat Kohli, the batsman, made 405 runs in 15 games, including a top score of 72*.
This season, he had three fifties, although his average was just under 29. His time as RCB captain finally ended with that.
