Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has always been one of the most popular franchises since the inception of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the year 2008. Some of the greatest players like Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Anil Kumble, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chris Gayle, and AB de Villiers have all been part of this team in the past. Their star player and former captain, Virat Kohli, is the only cricketer to represent a single franchise since the first season, which is RCB.

Despite having such a star-studded team, the elusive trophy has still eluded RCB. They have managed to reach three finals in 2009, 2011, and 2016 but failed to cross the line on all three occasions. After 15 long seasons in the league, their trophy cabinet remains empty. The Bangalore-based franchise has one of the most loyal and crazy fans in the IPL, as they follow their side passionately in every edition. The well-known slogan of ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde’ means ‘This year the Cup is Ours’ is a yearly reckoning of all the RCB fans, especially the ones who live in the garden city of Bangalore.

The fans’ love and support for the team are visible every season as they hope their side will end the trophy drought soon. The loud chants of ‘RCB RCB RCB’ around the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore are heard in every single match from these fans. With the 2022 campaign ending in disappointment, the supporters and the RCB team would hope to come back stronger in 2023. Despite being without a trophy, there are some of the mind-boggling and unbelievable records that RCB has created in the tournament’s history. These achievements are astonishing and it looks like it’s never going to be repeated by any player or a team again in the league.

Let’s take a look at some of the records that RCB has created without winning a trophy in the IPL:

1. Highest team total (263/5)

RCB holds the record of smashing the highest total of 263/5 in the IPL. They did it against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India (PWI) side in Bangalore in the year 2013. Chris Gayle hammered an unbeaten 175 off just 66 as RCB dismantled PWI by a mammoth 130 runs margin.

On a gloomy afternoon, the Pune side won the toss and opted to field first. All the bowlers were taken to the cleaners by the Caribbean power-hitter Gayle as he played one of the most memorable and devastating T20 innings. His opening partner Tilakaratne Dilshan made 33 off 36 while AB de Villiers scored a blitz 31 off 8.

In reply, PWI could only manage 133/9 in their allotted 20 overs with all the six RCB bowlers amongst the wickets. Gayle also enjoyed picking up two wickets in his one-over spell to end a remarkable match for himself and his team. Notably, RCB also holds the record for the second-highest total of 248/3 which also came against a defunct Gujarat Lions (GL) side at the same venue in 2016.

2. Highest individual score (175*)

On April 23, 2013, the Universe Boss and the T20 legend, Chris Gayle wrote his name in the history books by playing staggering and stupendous innings of 175* off just 66 against PWI. The Jamaican hammered 13 fours and 17 towering sixes at a strike rate of 265.15 to blow the PWI bowlers away.

It is the highest individual score in all T20 cricket to date as the West Indian created and broke several records on that afternoon. The West Indian smacked left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza for a 119-meter gigantic six that went out of the stadium. Gayle looked in beast mode right from the start of the innings, as all the RCB fans witnessed the most destructive T20 power-hitting.

The left-handed batter helped his side in winning the match by a massive margin of 130 runs and ended the evening by entering the record books. It was indeed a pleasure witnessing one of the greatest ever T20 knocks as the record is still intact even after a long nine-year period.

3. Highest partnership (229 runs)

Building partnerships are crucial in any format of the game and if you can stitch an over 200-plus runs partnership in the T20 format then it is something extraordinary. The RCB pair of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli put on a show against GL in Bangalore in the 2016 edition.

The duo stitched a breathtaking partnership of 229 runs for the second wicket as they registered the most runs for any wicket in the history of the league. It is also the second-highest partnership in all T20 cricket. Kohli scored 109 off 55 while de Villiers smashed an unbeaten 129 off just 52 to torment the GL side.

Kohli’s innings included five fours and eight maximums, with de Villiers slamming 10 fours and 12 monstrous sixes. RCB batted first and posted 248/3 in 20 overs thanks to the pair’s outstanding efforts, as the Gujarat team got bundled out for just 104 runs to lose the match by a record margin of 144 runs.

4. Most centuries by a team (15)

RCB batters have managed to smash the most, 15, centuries in the history of the league. Gayle and Kohli both have slammed five centuries each while de Villiers struck two tons during his illustrious IPL career. Manish Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rajat Patidar all have one hundred each for RCB.

Playing in his first match ever for the franchise, Gayle hammered 102* off 55 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Kolkata in the year 2011. He then went on to hit four more for the franchise to become a solid crowd favorite at the Chinnaswamy stadium. Kohli’s four centuries came all in one remarkable season of 2016 and his fifth and last ton was against KKR in 2019.

De Villiers scored one in the 2015 season against Mumbai Indians (MI) and the other in the 2016 edition against GL. Pandey was the first player to open an account for RCB. His innings of 114* off 73 came against Deccan Chargers in 2009. Padikkal’s knock was the second-last ton for the franchise which came against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2021 and Rajat Patidar became the latest entrant in this list for his ton against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022.

5. Most runs by a player in a season (973 runs)

Former RCB skipper Virat Kohli took the 2016 season by storm, as the star batter hammered a mammoth 973 runs in the campaign. In 16 innings, he scored those runs at an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03 with the highest score of 113.

Kohli struck four hundred and seven half-centuries with 83 fours and 38 maximums to his name. Not just in the IPL, his tally of 973 runs is the most scored by a batter in all T20 tournaments ever. Two out of the four tons had come against GL, one against Punjab Kings (PBKS), and the last against Rising Pune Supergiants.

With 11 thirty-plus scores in that memorable season, Kohli along with de Villiers who notched up 687 runs took his side to their third final, only to lose it at the end to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It was Jos Buttler who came close to his runs tally in the just concluded 2022 edition of the IPL. Buttler amassed 863 runs as he fell 110 runs short of King Kohli’s fantabulous achievement.

6. Most sixes in an innings (17)

Gayle’s juggernaut innings of 175* off 66 against PWI in Bangalore in 2013 also created the record for most sixes in an innings. The dashing West Indian smacked 17 monstrous sixes along with 13 fours. He accumulated 154 runs out of 175 just from fours and sixes in his exceptional knock.

The destructive batter slammed a 119m six to spinner Ali Murtaza which even traveled out of the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Gayle tore apart the PWI bowling line-up to script the best T20 knocks in history. He struck five sixes each against Mitchell Marsh and Murtaza, while four against part-timer Aaron Finch.

Two maximums were hit off the bowling of pacer Ashok Dinda and one against Luke Wright. The cricketing world witnessed gigantic innings from a legendary batter who took each and everyone by surprise. The second most sixes hit in an innings is also by Gayle and Kiwi Brendon McCullum. The latter slammed 13 sixes on the opening night of the IPL against KKR in 2008 and Gayle’s 13 sixes came against Delhi Capitals in 2012.

7. Most matches for a single franchise (223)

Former India and RCB skipper also holds the record for playing the most matches for a single team in the IPL. Kohli has appeared in 223 games for the Bangalore-based franchise and he is the only player to feature for the same team since the inception of the league in 2008.

Kohli has played every single edition of the IPL with RCB in 15 years. No other cricketer has managed to appear for the same team as Kohli has achieved. MS Dhoni is in the second spot for playing 204 matches for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Notably, the Men in Yellow were banned for two years in 2016 and 2017.

Arguably the most loyal player, Virat would like to win the IPL trophy with RCB as the franchise has still not won a single trophy in 15 seasons of the league. The star batter would like to end that trophy drought next year in 2023, as the recently concluded 2022 season also ended up in disappointment.

Hardik Pandya‘s Gujarat Titans may have won the IPL 2022 title, but they are not the most popular team in the tournament, not on social media platforms at least. Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered yet another heartbreaking season as they failed to lay hands on their maiden IPL trophy, but their loyal fans did not disappoint as they were one of the most popular teams on Twitter.

Although RCB did not play in front of its home crowd this season due to the pandemic, fans still supported the team in full voice. Such is the fan following of RCB that stadiums like Wankhede and Eden Gardens were encapsulated with the chants in the name of Virat Kohli and RCB.

The RCB team, led by Faf du Plessis, was the most tweeted about team in 2022. They were followed by MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings and Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians in second and third place, respectively. Kolkata Knight Riders were fourth, and finalist Rajasthan Royals were fifth in the list.

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the summit

“While Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans), won the tournament trophy, Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) won on Twitter – becoming the most Tweeted about team of the season. The team’s former skipper, Virat Kohli (@imVKohli), also remained the talk of the timelines on the service — becoming the most Tweeted about player of the season,” Twitter India revealed in an official release.

Virat Kohli, who did not enjoy the best of seasons with the bat, still was the most talked about player on Twitter. The former Indian skipper MS Dhoni quite unsurprisingly was second, followed by current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. CSK’s Ravindra Jadeja and RCB captain Faf du Plessis completed the top five.

RCB is not the only team with a massive and loyal fanbase. MS Dhoni‘s CSK also boasts of an enormous number of fans and it was quite evident as CSK’s #whistlepodu and #yellowlove were the most used hashtags behind #IPL2022. RCB’s #playbold and #wearechallengers were fourth and fifth, respectively in the list of most used hashtags.

The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has just concluded with Gujarat Titans claiming the title in their debut season. It was a brilliant season for the Hardik Pandya-led side, which finished at the top of the points table. The Titans got the job done in the playoffs, winning back-to-back matches to claim the title. The tail-end of the season is when the big game players really have to step up.

We witnessed several match-winning performances during the course of the playoffs. On the other hand, a few reputed stars failed to bring out their A-game in the playoffs. Perhaps, the pressure of a knockout game got the better of them.

In this article, we look at the Best XI of teams in playoffs:

1. KL Rahul

Although KL Rahul ended up on losing side in the Eliminator, his knock deserves some praise. The opening batter scored 79 runs off 58 balls in a chase of just over 200 runs. One can argue that he could have been a bit more aggressive with his approach, and gone after the bowlers in the middle overs.

Nevertheless, Rahul did a pretty decent job with the bat. No batter except Deepak Hooda could contribute well with the bat, and supported his skipper well from one end.

The former Punjab Kings skipper ended yet another successful season with the bat, as he smashed 616 runs in 15 innings at a staggering average of 51.33. And, he also managed to take Lucknow to the playoffs in their debut season, which is surely a big positive going forward.

2. Jos Buttler (WK)

Jos Buttler has enjoyed a dream season with the bat in IPL 2022. The English batter stood up for his side in the knockout games, as he put on two terrific displays. The right-handed batter scored 89 runs off 56 balls against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1. Although that was not sufficient enough to win the game for Rajasthan, it was quite a valiant effort.

Buttler scored his fourth century of the season in Qualifier 2 against Royal Challengers Bangalore smashing an unbeaten knock of 106 runs off just 60 balls. That knock helped the Royals earn a spot in the finals for the first time since 2008, and he was also awarded the player of the match award.

Jos Buttler was again the top scorer for his side in the finals, scoring 39 runs off 35 balls. But the Royals collapsed with the bat posting only 130 runs with the bat. Buttler also won the Orange Cap for scoring a whopping 863 runs in the entire season.

3. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill stepped up for his side in the last couple of matches. In fact, he was instrumental in Gujarat’s chases in the playoffs. The Indian batter scored a quickfire knock of 35 runs off just 21 balls in Qualifier 1 against Rajasthan Royals. Although it was not a big innings, it did have quite a bit of impact on a huge chase in terms of getting off the blocks quickly for the Titans.

In the final, Shubman Gill orchestrated a mature inning, scoring an unbeaten knock of 45 runs off just 43 balls. He batted right through the 18 overs, helping Gujarat chase down a tricky target if 131 runs.

The eventual champions lost a couple of wickets in the middle, but Shubman Gill’s calm innings really steadied the ship for them. Hence, the youngster certainly deserves a spot in the Best XI of teams in playoffs.

4. Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar rose to the occasion during the playoffs, as he was among the better players for Bangalore during the playoffs. He scored a blistering knock of 112 runs off just 54 balls against Lucknow in the Eliminator, which helped his side post a huge first innings total.

He came into bat after Bangalore lost their skipper, Faf du Plessis in the first over itself. The way he held the innings together was quite commendable. Rajat backed up his performance with another good knock in the Qualifier 2. He scored 58 runs off 42 balls against Rajasthan Royals, which meant that Bangalore atleast had something to defend.

The 28-year-old batted for almost 15 overs, scoring four fours, and clearing the fence on three occasions. Patidar was included in the squad as a replacement player and was brought into the XI towards the end of the league stage of IPL, but he made the most of his opportunities.

5. Hardik Pandya (C)

Hardik Pandya was not only a fantastic leader throughout IPL 2022 but also contributed with both, bat and ball during the course of the playoffs. The Indian all-rounder led Gujarat Titans to IPL glory, after thoroughly dominating the season, right from the onset.

He scored a quickfire knock of 40 runs in the seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1, and also chipped in with a couple of overs. Hardik also managed to pick up the key wicket of Devdutt Padikkal at a crucial juncture in the game. In the final, he was awarded the player of the match, for his all-round performance.

The skipper constructed a well-made innings of 34 runs, and picked up three wickets in his four-over spell. Moreover, his wickets included some big fishes in the form of Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Shimron Hetymer. The wicket of Jos Buttler really turned around the game for Gujarat, given that Rajasthan lacked firepower in their lower middle-order.

6. David Miller

David Miller has had an IPL season of some magnitude, given how often he stood up for his side in high-pressure chases. The South African batter scored a match-winning knock of 68 runs off just 38 balls against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 1.

He smashed three huge sixes off Prasidh Krishna’s final over to take the Titans into the finals. The Protea batter followed it up with another handy knock in the final, where he scored an unbeaten knock of 32 runs off just 19 balls.

Gujarat had found themselves in a somewhat tricky situation when Miller walked out to bat in the middle, and the left-handed batter started taking charge right from ball one. In the end, it was quite a comfortable chase for Gujarat, who won with over 10 balls to spare.

7. Deepak Hooda

Deepak Hooda played just one innings in the playoffs, but such was the impact of his knock that he certainly makes into this lineup. The Lucknow batter scored 45 runs off just 26 balls against Bangalore in the Eliminator to keep LSG in the hunt during the steep chase.

Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t enough to take his side into the next round. However, given the situation he walked out to bat, it was quite a decent knock from his side. In a chase of 208 runs, Hooda walked out into the middle, with the score reading two wickets down fo just 41 runs.

Hence, it was Deepak Hooda’s short cameo which brought LSG back into the chase. The 27-year-old had a successful season with the bat, as he amassed 451 runs in 14 innings at an average of just over 32.

8. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan went about his business in the playoffs rather silently. He was as effective as expected and lived up to his reputation in the entire season as well. The Afghanistan spinner conceded just 15 runs off his four overs in Qualifier 1, although he did not manage to pick up a wicket.

But given that most of the bowlers conceded more than 10 runs per over, Rashid Khan did a brilliant job. In the finals, Rashid Khan again conceded the bare minimum. The wrist spinner gave away just 18 runs in his four-over spell, and also managed to pick up the wicket of Devdutt Padikkal.

He applied the pressure in the middle stages of the innings, which made sure that Rajasthan did not chip away with easy runs. His contributions with both, bat and ball this season has played a huge role in Titans’ charge towards the title.

9. Mohsin Khan

Mohsin Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Lucknow in their defeat against Bangalore in the Eliminator. He conceded just 25 runs off four overs, picking up the crucial wicket of Faf du Plessis in the first over itself. The left-arm pacer hardly gave any easy runs, and smartly varied his pace.

The rest of the bowling attack went for plenty of runs, as no bowler except Mohsin Khan had an economy rate of less than 9. Avesh Khan, leader of LSG’s pace attack also conceded 44 runs in four overs, going at an economy rate of 11.

Mohsin Khan had a fruitful season with Lucknow as well picking 14 wickets in just nine matches and his overall economy rate read 5.96 which was exceptional.

10. Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood put up a couple of good performances in the playoffs. He managed to pick up three wickets in his four-over spell against Lucknow in the Eliminator. He did go for a few runs but managed to get the key wicket of KL Rahul right towards the end of the chase.

The Australian pacer was also effective in the second Qualifier which ended on sour note for Bangalore. The tall pacer picked up two wickets in his four-over spell, conceding just 23 runs.

Moreover, most of the bowlers went for plenty of runs, given that Jos Buttler was the man on a mission in the chase. The Aussie quick managed to pick up the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal, which at least kept Bangalore in the game for a bit longer.

11. Prasidh Krishna

Prasidh Krishna did not have a great outing against Gujarat in Qualifier 1, where he conceded 40 runs in 3.3 overs, as David Miller took him to the cleaners in the final over. However, he bounced back pretty well, and picked up three wickets against Bangalore in Qualifier 2.

He picked up the wickets of Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik which completely changed the game and restricted RCB to an under-par total. Again in the final, he was taken for runs as he conceded 40 at an economy rate of 10. He did manage to pick up an early wicket in the form of Wriddhiman Saha, and was in fact quite good with the new ball.

Overall, Prasidh Krishna does make the cut into the side, given that he delivered a match winning performance against Bangalore in the second Qualifier.

RCB started their IPL 2022 campaign with a new captain Faf du Plessis as Virat Kohli decided to step down from the role after IPL 2021. This season went really well for Bangalore-based team but their campaign ended in the second qualifier of the tournament after losing to Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets.

In this year’s mega auction, the RCB franchise bought some players who didn’t perform as expected and didn’t play in many matches as well. Ahead of the next season, the team management might be thinking to release some of the players and plug the holes in the squad in the auction. We’ll have a look at those three players which RCB might release ahead of IPL 2023.

Here’s a look at the three probable releases from RCB before IPL 2023:

1. Siddarth Kaul

Siddarth Kaul was released by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of the mega auction for IPL 2022 earlier this year as he could only scalp only seven wickets in eight matches last season. In the mega auction, the 32-year-old pacer was bought by RCB for his base price of INR 75 lakh. But he got to play only one match, a must-win encounter, against Gujarat Titans in their last league game.

Kaul conceded 43 runs in his quota of four overs and went wicketless in that game. So, he might have to go to the auction again next year. As per the bowling combination of RCB, Kaul couldn’t find a regular place as the management was already going with the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshal Patel in their pace attack.

The Pathankot-based pacer might get a better chance if any other team picks him up in the mini-auction of IPL 2023 and he fits in their bowling combination. So, RCB may release him ahead of the next season.

2. David Willey

David Willey’s IPL career hasn’t been really promising so far. RCB added him to the squad for his base price of INR 2 crores. He got a chance to play for RCB in initial matches as Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was not available. Willey also batted at number four in the line-up. Batting in two innings of the four matches he played, the southpaw managed to score only 18 runs.

Moreover, Willey claimed only one wicket to his name in four apperances. After the inclusion of Maxwell in the squad and playing XI as well, Willey was benched by the team management for further matches.

As only four foreign players in a playing XI in IPL, it would be hard for RCB to adjust him in their existing combination which may result in Willey’s release from RCB ahead of the next season in 2023.

3. Karn Sharma

Karn Sharma was bought by RCB in the mega auction of IPL 2022 at his base price of INR 50 lakh. However. the leg-spinner couldn’t get a chance in playing XI throughout the season. RCB decided to go with young Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga during their whole campaign. So it was quite hard to adjust Sharma into the bowling combination of the team.

So, RCB may release him to free up their purse and get any other player. Karn might also get a better opportunity if any of the teams, who require a leg spinner, buys him in the mini-auction of IPL 2023.

To note, Sharma has his last IPL match in 2020 for Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Since then the spinner has been warming the benches.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s hopes of winning their maiden IPL title ended after a crushing defeat to Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 on Friday in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium. Former RCB skipper Virat Kohli thanked the fans for their incredible support throughout the tournament via Instagram.

Royal Challengers Bangalore had another roller-coaster of a season that saw them relying on other teams for qualification to the playoffs. RCB fans who are known as the ’12th Man Army’ hoped that the Bangalore-based side might end their drought in the tournament by lifting the trophy this year. But an uninspiring performance against the Royals prolonged their barren run in IPL.

The former Indian skipper took to Instagram and showed appreciation towards the loyal RCB fans, dedicated management and support staff.”Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t, but the 12th Man Army, you have been fantastic, always backing us throughout our campaign. You make cricket special. Learning never stops. A big thanks to the management, support staff, and all the people who are part of this amazing franchise. See you next season,” read the caption of the post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli)

Virat Kohli’s slump with the bat continues

Kohli endured an appalling season with RCB in IPL 2022. The 33-year-old scored just 341 runs in 16 matches, including two half-centuries to his name. The right-hander’s struggle was clear as day with many former players advising him to take time off the game.

Kohli did show signs of form when he scored a 54-ball 73 and was impressed with his stroke-making. But he wasn’t able to follow up that innings and failed to impress in the last two crucial games for RCB.

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag comprehended Kohli’s situation. But he questioned Kohli’s shot selection in the big game against RR. Kohli was expected to lead from the front in such a crunch game. However, he was dismissed after playing an avoidable shot in the second over.

Mohammed Siraj had a bad outing once again as he could not help Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) from avoiding a defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad on Friday (May 27). RR batters targetted Siraj as he went for 31 runs in only two overs. As a result, RR chased down the target of 158 with ease in 18.1 overs only. However, after the match, RCB’s Mike Hesson backed him for a stronger comeback in the next season.

Siraj completed this year’s IPL with only nine wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 10.08. His bowling average was 57.11 and as a result, he became the first bowler in the history of the IPL to concede 30 or more sixes in a season. Siraj was dropped in the last league match but again, he was back in the playing XI for the playoff matches.

Mohammed Siraj is a fine bowler, he didn’t have his best tournament: Mike Hesson

However, Siraj failed to repay RCB management’s faith as he only picked up one wicket by conceding 72 runs in six overs over these two playoff matches. Speaking to the media after the match, Mike said: “Mohammed Siraj is a fine bowler, he didn’t have his best tournament but we know he will come back strong,” He also added: “Just didn’t get us those new-ball wickets, didn’t get the ball swinging and probably lost a bit of confidence. But as I said, he will come back stronger.”

Speaking about others’ performances, Mike Hesson looked “pretty pleased” with the performances of Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli. He said: “Glenn Maxwell had a good all-round season with both bat and ball. Very good strike rate and averaged almost 30. Went for seven an over with the ball. Sure, you almost want more, but I think he had a pretty good season with both bat and ball.”

“Obviously, we started with Virat at No. 3 but we moved him to the top. And he certainly got better and better as the season went on. Looked in good touch in the last 4-5 innings. All in all, pretty pleased with the way the team gelled this season,” Hesson concluded.  Rajasthan Royals are scheduled to take on Gujarat Titans in this year’s IPL Final in Ahmedabad on Sunday (May 29).

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fans were hoping to witness a solid innings from their former captain Virat Kohli when he came out to open with Faf du Plessis against Rajasthan Royals in the Qualifier 2 on May 27. But, he failed to deliver once again as he managed to score only seven runs off eight balls before losing his wicket to Prasidh Krishna in the second over of the match. RCB posted a total of 157 on the board in their 20 overs and Rajasthan easily chased it down, thanks to Jos Buttler’s majestic ton. 

Kohli looked in good touch when he stepped down the wicket and whipped the ball over square leg for a six in the opening over. But, he again chased a wide ball and got an edge to Sanju Samson, the RR captain. Virat scored 341 runs in 16 matches of this year’s IPL at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.99. 

This is not the Virat Kohli we know: Virender Sehwag

During Cricbuzz’s mid-innings show, former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag reviewed Kohli’s IPL season this year. He also felt that luck didn’t favour the 33-year-old this season while also pointing out that Kohli also made a lot of mistakes this season. Sehwag also noted that the former RCB captain has been dismissed in all ways possible this season while saying that he should’ve performed well in the crunch game.

“When you are out of form, you are just trying to middle every ball to get confidence. In the first over, he did let go of some deliveries, but this is exactly what happens when you are not in form, you go chasing after balls. Sometimes luck favours you, the ball does not catch the edge of your bat. But it did not happen this way. This is not the Virat Kohli we know; this is perhaps some other Virat Kohli this season.

“The number of mistakes he has made this season, he probably has not made as many in his entire career. When you are not scoring runs, you try to do different things and then you are dismissed in different ways. This time, Virat Kohli has been dismissed in all the ways possible. He could have possibly let go of that ball or he could have gone hard at it. He disappointed his fans and RCB fans, it was such a big match,” he added  

Parthiv Patel also expressed that Kohli was not looking confident as he was not having many runs behind him. “You are over-anxious when you do not have many runs. The problem is that Kohli does not play the cut shot,” he concluded.

Rajasthan Royals entered the final of IPL 2022 after beating Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2 on May 27. This is only the second time in the tournament’s history that they have reached the final. While many expected RCB to win their maiden IPL trophy, a certain Jos Buttler knocked them out of the tournament with a brilliant ton. However, RCB still saw the positive side of the loss and wished good luck to the Rajasthan Royals in the final against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 29.

RCB have a huge fanbase in the country already but with their latest tweet, they certainly would have added some more to the fan’s club. The franchise recognised how much the win meant for the Royals who had to wait since 2008 to make it to the final. Also, the last time RR reached the finals it was under the Australian great Shane Warne’s leadership, who recently passed away, and the victory certainly would also act as a tribute to the legend.

Warne did not have the big names on his side in 2008, but he managed to get the team going with a collective effort and found match-winners in every game. He was always there for the Royals as a mentor and coach at times and has lived in the hearts of the Royals fans as well. It will be perfect if the Royals can win their second trophy in the final against the Titans which could serve as a way to acknowledge Warne’s contributions over the years.

Here’s RCB’s tweet ahead of the finals for the Rajasthan Royals

The Great late Shane Warne is smiling on you. Well played tonight, @rajasthanroyals and good luck for the final. 👍🏻#PlayBold #IPL2022 #RRvRCB

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) May 27, 2022

“The Great late Shane Warne is smiling on you. Well played tonight, @rajasthanroyals and good luck for the final. #PlayBold, #IPL2022 #RRvRCB,” RCB’s official Twitter handle captioned the tweet. 

Jos Buttler‘s fourth century of the IPL 2022 season stole the show in Qualifier 2 against RCB in a run chase of 158, leading the Royals to a comfortable seven-wicket triumph.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) delivered the knockout punch to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by winning the second qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by seven wickets. While Jos Buttler deservedly hogged all the limelight for his scintillating ton, his fourth of the season, pace bowlers Obed McCoy and Prasidh Krishna’s efforts with the ball were equally important in restricting RCB earlier.

The two bowlers shared six wickets between them equally while conceding 23 and 22 runs respectively in their four-over spells. The duo bowled exceptionally well at the death leading to RCB scoring only 157 runs batting first. It was a brilliant performance from both the bowlers as Krishna made a stunning comeback after failing to defend 16 runs against Gujarat Titans in the final over.

On the other hand, Obed McCoy had a personal emergency back home with his mother falling ill. It is very tough for anyone to perform like he did in the knockout game for RR. Royals’ Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara revealed the news of McCoy’s mother being ill back home and also later confirmed that she is recovering well. He lauded the pace bowler for delivering for the team during the tough times.

“Obed McCoy, his mother, has been quite ill back home, but he has been able to put that aside. She is recovering well,” Sangakkara said while speaking to the host broadcaster after the game.

Sangakkara all praise for Jos Buttler after an incredible knock

Kumar Sangakkara didn’t forget to praise Jos Buttler either who smashed an unbeaten 106 off 60 balls to power Rajasthan Royals to their first final since the inaugural IPL edition. The former Sri Lanka cricketer stated that Buttler has the ability to accelerate at any point in the game and makes bowlers commit mistakes.

“Jos Buttler backs his strengths and manoeuvres the bowling to bowl more and more to his strengths. The great thing is he can accelerate at anytime. Overall, he is a wonderful guy who thinks deeply about his game and himself,” Sangakkar added.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went down to Rajasthan Royals in the second qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday (May 27). Perhaps, a certain Jos Buttler took them down single-handedly smashing his fourth ton of the season. His unbeaten 106 off 60 deliveries helped RR chase down the 158-run target comfortably in the 19th over of the innings.

Speaking after the match, while Faf du Plessis admitted that the Royals outplayed RCB, he also claimed that batting got easy as the evening progressed. He also compared the first few overs of RCB’s innings to Test cricket stating that the ball was hooping around a lot. Their key player and opener Virat Kohli got out early to Prasidh Krishna as well which put an early dent in their innings.

“When we walked off the field, we felt were a few short. It was challenging the first 3-4 overs, there was movement. I Felt 180 was a par score on that pitch. The first six overs felt like Test cricket. Compared to the other wickets, this one was quicker off the new ball, and then it eased off later in the innings,” Du Plessis said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

It was a great season for RCB, says Du Plessis

RCB’s wait to lay their hands on the silverware continues but Faf du Plessis believes they had a great season and was proud of the way his team played. He also thanked all the fans and was overwhelmed with the huge support for the franchise. He also lauded the way the Royals played and reckoned they were more deserving to play the final than RCB.

“Great season for RCB. Really proud. My first season coming in and seeing how special the fans are everywhere we go. A big thank you to everyone coming out and supporting us. Have had some incredible performances for us. Came up against a really strong Rajasthan team who probably deserve it more than us,” the RCB skipper added.