RCB’s performance in every IPL season

Established in 2008, the IPL currently consists of ten teams based in ten cities across India. The inaugural season was won by the Rajasthan Royals. The 2025 edition will be the eighteenth edition of the IPL.

Royal Challengers Bangalore is a powerhouse of the Indian Premier League, one of the most instantly recognisable franchises with a huge fanbase. And over the years, their team has included the great and the good of world cricket, with India icon Virat Kohli one of the faces of the franchise. However, they are yet to lift the trophy.

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Across the 17 editions of the marquee T20 league, Royal Challengers Bangalore has made it to the playoffs on nine occasions, finishing runner-up on three - in 2009, 2011 and 2016.

Here is a look at RCB’s performance in every IPL season.

RCB’s performance in every IPL

Reached final in 2009

After finishing seventh out of eight teams in the very first IPL in 2008, RCB soon got their act together and reached the final in 2009.

But despite restricting Deccan Chargers to just 143/6, with Indian spinning legend Anil Kumble taking four wickets, the Challengers' batting line-up failed in a low-scoring final in Johannesburg. No batter scored more than Roelof van der Merwe's 32 for RCB and they lost out by six runs.

RCB had all star squad in 2011

They were back in the final two years later, though, after finishing top of the pile in the group stage with only four defeats from their 14 games. RCB had an all-star squad for the 2011 tournament and they were arguably the best side before a catastrophic performance in the final against Chennai Super Kings.

CSK set a mammoth 206 to win after Murali Vijay smoked 95 off 52 balls and RCB got nowhere near the target, finishing 58 runs short with none of their batters passing a half-century.

Third final appearances in 2016

RCB's third IPL final appearance to date came in the 2016 campaign when they lost a nail-biting final to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

SRH set 209 to win and RCB came agonisingly close, with Chris Gayle scoring 76 and Kohli 54 in a century opening stand, before a second half collapse in the chase left the Challengers eight runs short and handed the title to Sunrisers.

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Away from finals, RCB has the privilege (and ignominy) of holding both the records for IPL's highest score and lowest score, 263/5 and 49 all out respectively.