Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Kevin Pietersen, Daniel Vettori, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli - some of the biggest names in the history of the sport failed to bring the IPL trophy to Bengaluru. When Vijay Mallya formed the franchise back in 2007 and filled in with stars all across the globe, RCB were destined to become one of the most successful franchises. They had all the flamboyance, glamour and greatness but maybe lacked a little bit of luck and failing to capitalise under pressure cost them three finals in the past.
RCB not just had great players but legends. How can one even justify that a team that once had Kohli, Chris Gayle, Travis Head and KL Rahul and Yuzvendra Chahal didn’t win the competition? But, that’s all the past and all that matters now in Ee Sala Cup Namde! Under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, Bengaluru will play the big final yet again. They will be challenging Punjab Kings on June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, who are also chasing their maiden IPL title.
Meanwhile, the current RCB batch cannot be really compared to any of their previous teams. Over the years, the franchise was known for investing heavily in the top 3 or in the batting unit. Hence, the bowlers have let them down more often than not. 2025 is different in that regard. After Kohli, who was retained for INR 21 crore, Josh Hazlewood is the most expensive player in the team. The Australia pacer was bought for INR 12.50 crore.
Now, he has been phenomenal, to say the least. The 34-year-old clinched 21 wickets in 11 matches and is the fourth-leading wicket-taker at the moment. Whenever the team was in some need, captain Patidar handed the ball to Hazlewood and more often than not, the Australian managed to get the job done. His partnership with Bhuvneshwar Kumar was so legendary that Ian Bishop on commentary once mentioned, ‘hall of fame bowling’.
Others, such as Suyash Sharma and Yash Dayal, have stepped up from time to time, making RCB one of the most dangerous teams this season. Batting was never a problem for the team, as it was once again Kohli, who had a marvellous tournament. The 36-year-old scored 614 runs in 14 matches and is the fifth-leading run-scorer of the tournament. Apart from that, Rajat Patidar and Phil Salt have been sensational too.
Overall, the team has all the bases covered ahead of the blockbuster final. One can very well say that this is the most balanced RCB side in history. However, is it good enough to lift the title? Many would say - Ee Sala Cup Namde.
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