Royal Challengers Bangalore (or Royal Challengers Bengaluru) hasn’t won a single title in 17 seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL). However, it’s safe to say that they’ve grown to have the biggest fan base over the years. The franchise has groomed players that have represented the side for many years at a stretch, creating millions of loyal fans for the side.
On this page, we’re going to explore all the captains that have led this prestigious franchise ever since the start of the league with IPL 2008. It was Indian icon player Rahul Dravid who became the first ever RCB captain in this competition, and then many more legendary names took over the reins, some for an extended time while a few doing so for an interim period.
Full RCB captains list till date
With only 4 wins in 14 games in IPL 2008 and finishing second to last on the points table, Dravid’s term as RCB captain didn’t last too long. He was immediately replaced by England’s Kevin Pietersen as the tournament moved to South Africa for IPL 2009, but he didn’t last too long at the top either, immediately being replaced by another Indian legend, Anil Kumble.
Kumble won 19 of his 35 games as RCB captain, ending as one of the most successful RCB captains in history, with a win percentage of 54%+. While that’s not super impressive, he led his side to the IPL 2009 final where he picked 4/16 with the ball but they fell narrowly short against Deccan Chargers. See our complete list of RCB captains below, last updated 26th March 2025, at the start of the IPL 2025 season:
| Sr. | Captain | Term | Matches |
| 1 | Rahul Dravid  | 2008 | 14 |
| 2 | Kevin Pietersen  | 2009 | 6 |
| 3 | Anil Kumble | 2009-2010 | 35 |
| 4 | Daniel Vettori  | 2011-2012 | 28 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 2011-2023 | 143 |
| 6 | Shane Watson  | 2017 | 3 |
| 7 | Faf du Plessis  | 2022-2024 | 42 |
| 8 | Rajat Patidar | 2025 onwards | 1* |
| 9 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 10 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
The overseas captains to have led RCB over the years include Pietersen, Daniel Vettori, Shane Watson, and Faf du Plessis. From these, du Plessis had the longest run with 42 games as RCB captain, before he moved on to Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2025 season. Overall, Virat Kohli has the record for most matches as RCB captain in the IPL, with 143 games as skipper.
Watson and Pietersen both had very short terms at the top with 3 and 6 games as RCB captains respectively. The latest appointment as RCB captain was that of Rajat Patidar who has been with the side since IPL 2021 and they look at him as the future of the franchise, appointed as captain for IPL 2025, when most though Kohli may return as RCB skipper once again.
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Most franchises have experimented a lot when it comes to the player leading their side. For example, Delhi Capitals has had 14 different captains from IPL 2008 to 2025. SRH have had 10 and Punjab have had as many as 17 different leaders during the same time. RCB has been more consistent in terms of their leaders, and we think Patidar will be a long-term choice as well.
RCB’s Captaincy baton has been passed to Rajat Patidar successfully (Source- RCB Bowling). pic.twitter.com/fX6RQFAPdT
— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) March 22, 2025
Patidar kicked off his time at the helm with a victory in the opening game of IPL 2025, beating Kolkata Knight Riders quite comprehensively. It’ll be interesting to see if he manages to become the first RCB captain to lift the IPL trophy, in 2025 or any successive tournaments he may continue to lead them.
FAQs on list of RCB captains
Q. Who are the seven captains of RCB?
Ans. There are actually 8 RCB captains as of IPL 2025. They are Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Anil Kumble, Daniel Vettori, Virat Kohli, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, and Rajat Patidar.
Q. Who is the captain of RCB in 2017?
Ans. Virat Kohli was the captain of RCB between 2011 and 2023. However, he was unavailable for 3 games during the start of IPL 2017 and at the time, Australia’s Shane Watson stepped up as captain.
Q. Who was the captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008?
Ans. In the first edition (IPL 2008), RCB selected Rahul Dravid as their icon player and captain. However, he was replaced by Kevin Pietersen and Anil Kumble in IPL 2009 itself.
For more updates on the RCB franchise and the Indian Premier League in general, stay tuned to ReadScoops.com…
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