IPL playoffs: How have RCB fared in the playoffs over the years?

RCB have reached the playoffs in 10 seasons of IPL.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed 18 seasons since its inception in 2008. The tournament currently observes a battle between 10 teams. A few teams have been part of the tournament since the maiden edition in 2008 and have played all 18 seasons of IPL. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is one such team.

RCB were known as Royal Challengers Bangalore till the 2023 season. In the 2024 edition, they made a slight change to their name and were renamed as Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Indian batting legend Virat Kohli has been part of the side since the first season. He also led the franchise from 2013 to 2021.

Royal Challengers reached the IPL finals on three occasions, however, they could not win the ultimate clash and ended up as runners-up on all three occasions. RCB finished as runners-up in the 2009, 2011, and 2016 editions. Although they have not won any IPL trophies, they have been a dominant side when it comes to the IPL playoffs.

The top four teams in the points table after the league stage qualify for the playoffs in the IPL. RCB reached the playoffs on 10 occasions over the last 18 seasons. On that note, let’s elaborate on how RCB have fared in the playoffs over the years.

1. IPL 2009- Runners-up

In the 2009 edition, the playoffs format was not introduced in the IPL. The top four teams after the league stage qualified for the semi-finals, and the winners of the semis wrestled in the final. Anil Kumble-led RCB finished in the third spot in the points table in the league stage of IPL 2009.

In the second semi-final, they defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets while chasing a target of 147 runs. However, they lost the final to now-defunct Deccan Chargers by six runs and eventually finished as runners-up.

2. IPL 2010- Lost semi-final

RCB qualified for the semi-finals for the second straight time in IPL 2010 under Kumble’s leadership. They ended in the fourth spot in the points table after the league stage.

However, they lost the 1st semi-final to Mumbai Indians (MI) by 35 runs and could not reach the final. Later, they crushed Deccan Chargers in 3rd third-place playoff match by nine wickets to end the season in the third spot.

3. IPL 2011- Runners-up

Showcasing a spectacular performance for the third time in a row, Royal Challengers reached the playoffs in IPL 2011. Led by Daniel Vettori, they captured the top spot in the points table after the league stage.

They lost the Qualifier 1 match to CSK by six wickets. However, they later outplayed MI by 43 runs to grab a place in the final. RCB lost the final against CSK by 58 runs by failing to chase down a mammoth 206-run target. Hence, they finished as runners-up.

4. IPL 2015- Lost Qualifier 2

After a three-season gap, RCB qualified for the playoffs in IPL 2015 under Virat Kohli. During the league stage, they secured their place in the playoffs by finishing second on the points table.

The Virat Kohli & Co. defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator clash. However, they failed to beat CSK in the Qualifier 2 game and Chennai won by three wickets.

5. IPL 2016- Runners-up

Under captain Kohli, RCB qualified for the playoffs for a second consecutive time in the 2016 season. During the league, RCB finished in the second spot in the points table. They also crushed the Gujarat Lions in the Qualifier 1 match by four wickets to secure a place in the final.

However, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated them by eight runs in the nail-biting final to clinch their first-ever title. Unfortunately, RCB had to settle for the runners-up title for the third time in IPL history.

6. IPL 2020- Lost Eliminator

In the IPL 2020 edition, RCB made it to the playoffs by finishing in the fourth spot in the points table. However, the Virat Kohli & co. lost the Eliminator clash against SRH by six wickets. They set up a low target of 132 for the Sunrisers, which the latter chased down like a walk in the park. Hence, RCB failed to reach the final.

7. IPL 2021- Lost Eliminator

In the 2021 season, they reached the playoffs by clinching the third spot in the points table after the league stage. However, they lost the Eliminator clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by four wickets and were eliminated from the tournament.

8. IPL 2022- Lost Qualifier 2

In IPL 2022, Kohli handed over the captaincy to Faf du Plessis after leading RCB for nine seasons. They qualified for the playoffs by finishing fourth in the points table.

Later, Royal Challengers also crushed Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Eliminator by 14 runs. However, they lost the Qualifier 2 game to RR by seven wickets and failed to reach the final.

9. IPL 2024- Lost Eliminator

In IPL 2024, Royal Challengers crushed CSK in their last league match to steal a place in the playoffs. They finished in the fourth spot with an equal 14 points as CSK, but a better Net Run Rate (NRR). However, the Faf du Plessis & Co. lost the Eliminator clash to RR by four wickets and failed to capture a place in the final.

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