The terrific trio - RCB’s talismans over the last decade
IPL, the most popular global cricket league, is all set to get underway from 29th of March, 2020, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. As we embark on a new journey, let us look at some of the best performers for the Challengers in the last decade.
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli was the sole player to be retained by RCB in 2011 and many cricketing pundits questioned this move. Since then, the skipper has been central to RCB’s fortunes with the willow because of his ability to adapt to any situation. Virat’s knock of 56 off 38 deliveries against Delhi in 2011 was the template for the kind of innings he could play, the kind of things IPL would increasingly see in the coming years. The 31-year-old has amassed 4704 runs over the decade. He turned heads when he compiled an unprecedented 973 runs in a single season (2016), which consisted of 4 tons and 7 half-centuries. The skipper orchestrated RCB’s mid-season turnaround.
He is the leading run-getter in the tournament with 5412 runs. It is quite evident that King Kohli is a walking tribute to the values of hard work and determination.
2. AB de Villiers
On 9th April 2011, the South African batsman made his IPL debut for RCB against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. In his very first outing for the Challengers, De Villiers scored a well-constructed half-century to help the side cross the finishing line. With lightning-fast hands, brilliant hand-eye co-ordination, and fluid movements, AB de Villiers had all the ingredients to become one of the pioneers of T20 cricket.
Fast forward to 2020, he is rated as one of the most destructive players the world has ever seen. The 36-year-old has the uncanny ability to unsettle bowlers with the range of shots he possesses. The batsman has scored 3724 runs in the last decade which also includes 2 centuries. AB de Villiers is the second-highest run-getter for RCB. With a plethora of records to his name, AB de Villiers is certainly a crowd puller. He will again be central to RCB’s campaign in the 2020 edition of the IPL.
3. Yuzvendra Chahal
Our very own Yuzvendra Chahal made his debut for the Challengers in the 2014 edition of the IPL. Like AB de Villiers, Yuzi in his debut game bagged the Man of the Match award for his economic spell against Delhi Daredevils. The cricketing fraternity took notice of the leg-spinner with a bagful of tricks up his sleeve. The persistent performances in the IPL earned him a place in the Indian Senior side.
Chahal’s shrewd mentality and the ability to read the batsman's mind is what sets him apart from any other bowler. The leg-spinner has scalped 100 wickets and is an integral part of the RCB set-up.
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