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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) got the better of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets in their final league match to make it to IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 where they will face Punjab Kings (PBKS). Yet again RCB have a chance to end their title drought by winning the IPL 2025.
Despite reaching the IPL finals on three separate occasions, in 2009, 2011, and 2016, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have unfortunately been unable to clinch the ultimate title, finishing as runners-up in all three attempts. Even without a trophy, RCB have consistently been a dominant force when it comes to the IPL playoffs.
Over the past 18 seasons, RCB has remarkably reached the playoffs on nine occasions. Now, let's take a closer look at RCB's performance in the playoffs over the years.
Runners-up in IPL 2009
In the 2009 IPL season, the current playoff format wasn't yet in place. Instead, the top four teams from the league stage advanced directly to the semi-finals, with the winners then competing in the final. Led by Anil Kumble, RCB finished third on the points table during the league stage of IPL 2009.
In the second semi-final, RCB successfully chased down a target of 147 runs, defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by six wickets. However, their journey ended in the final, where they lost to the now-defunct Deccan Chargers by a narrow margin of six runs, ultimately finishing as runners-up.
Semi-finalists in IPL 2010
RCB qualified for the semi-finals for the second consecutive time in IPL 2010, once again under Kumble's leadership. They secured the fourth spot on the points table after the league stage.
Unfortunately, RCB lost the first semi-final to Mumbai Indians (MI) by 35 runs, failing to reach the final. However, they later dominated the Deccan Chargers in the third-place playoff match, winning by nine wickets to conclude the season in third position.
Runners-up in IPL 2011
Demonstrating a spectacular performance for the third time in a row, Royal Challengers reached the playoffs in IPL 2011. This season, under the captaincy of Daniel Vettori, they captured the top spot in the points table after the league stage. Despite their strong league performance, RCB lost Qualifier 1 to CSK by six wickets. Nevertheless, they bounced back, outplaying MI by 43 runs to secure a place in the final. In the ultimate clash, RCB fell short against CSK, losing by 58 runs after failing to chase a mammoth 206-run target. Consequently, they finished as runners-up for the second time.
Lost Qualifier 2 in IPL 2015
After a three-season hiatus, RCB made it back to the playoffs in IPL 2015 under the leadership of Virat Kohli. They secured their playoff berth by finishing second on the points table during the league stage. Virat Kohli & Co. successfully defeated the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator match. However, their campaign ended in Qualifier 2, where they were unable to overcome CSK, who won the game by three wickets.
Runners-up in IPL 2016
Under captain Kohli, RCB qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive time in the 2016 season. They once again finished in the second spot on the points table during the league phase. RCB then convincingly crushed the Gujarat Lions by four wickets in Qualifier 1 to secure a place in the final.
However, in a nail-biting final, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated them by eight runs to clinch their first-ever title. Unfortunately for RCB, they had to settle for the runners-up title for the third time in IPL history.
Lost Eliminator in IPL 2020
In the IPL 2020 edition, RCB managed to reach the playoffs by finishing in the fourth spot on the points table. Despite their qualification, Virat Kohli & Co. lost the Eliminator clash against SRH by six wickets. They set a low target of 132 for the Sunrisers, which SRH chased down with ease, effectively ending RCB's hopes of reaching the final.
Lost Eliminator in IPL 2021
In the 2021 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) once again reached the playoffs, securing the third spot in the points table after the league stage. However, their campaign ended in the Eliminator match, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by four wickets, leading to their elimination from the tournament.
Lost Qualifier 2 in IPL 2022
For IPL 2022, Virat Kohli handed over the captaincy to Faf du Plessis after leading RCB for nine seasons. The team qualified for the playoffs by finishing fourth in the points table. Royal Challengers then convincingly defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 14 runs in the Eliminator. Despite this win, they subsequently lost Qualifier 2 to Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets, thus failing to reach the final.
Lost Eliminator in IPL 2024
In IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a dramatic playoff berth by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their final league match. They finished in fourth place with 14 points, equal to CSK, but advanced due to a superior Net Run Rate (NRR). However, the Faf du Plessis-led side ultimately lost the Eliminator clash to Rajasthan Royals (RR) by four wickets, preventing them from securing a spot in the final.
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