Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) haven’t won any titles in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but their quality players make them one of the most formidable sides. 2016 is RCB’s best year in the cash-rich tournament so far, as they came close to winning the title, riding on their captain Virat Kohli’s unprecedented batting display.
Although Challengers haven’t won any trophy yet, they pose stiff competition to their opponents. Illustrious names such as Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori, and Shane Watson were a part of this team in the past. Witnessing Bangalore’s vast IPL journey, it’s essential to know the skippers who dominated the three-time IPL runners-up with their captaincy prowess.
Here are the three most successful captains against RCB
3. Gautam Gambhir
KKR 2014. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)
Gautam Gambhir has a superb captaincy record against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The southpaw stood as a skipper against Bangalore in 15 games and had success nine times. Captaining Delhi Capitals (DC), he played two games against RCB and got a victory in one played in 2010 and registered a defeat in another in 2018.
In 2012, Gambhir guided Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their maiden IPL title with his captaincy and batting. Against RCB, Knight Riders won twice and in both triumphs, the India veteran became the highest run-scorer. At the iconic Eden Gardens, he played a rapid 93-run knock against Challengers and recorded his best batting score in the IPL. Riding on his fine innings, Knight Riders registered a 47-run win.
2. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma and Piyush Chawla (photo Source: MI/Twitter)
The former Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper holds a dominating leadership record against Bangalore. During his immense captaincy stint with Mumbai, the veteran won 11 contests against Challengers. Rohit showcased his batting mettle against Bangalore in 2018 at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Leading the pack from the front, he played a magnificent knock of 94 off just 52. Riding on his fabulous batting display, MI hammered Challengers by 46 runs. The stylish right-handed batter also became the recipient of the Player of the Match award.
1. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)
MS Dhoni has a phenomenal captaincy record against RCB in IPL. The star player has led his team to 19 victories against Bangalore in the cash-rich tournament. In 2011, Challengers qualified for the final and had a chance to win the trophy but it was Dhoni’s leadership talent that shattered the dreams of several RCB supporters and made Chennai champions for the second time.
Back in 2015, Dhoni’s CSK again foiled RCB’s plans of winning the title. In Qualifier 2 of the eighth IPL edition, Super Kings knocked out the Virat Kohli-led RCB from the competition, registering a three-wicket win in Jharkhand.