IPL 9: Teams that beat RCB in finals are extinct now

Bengaluru, May 25: The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made their third final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday when they made a match of an upbeat bowling performance by debutants Gujarat Lions and bagged the match in the penultimate over. [RCB beat GL by 4 wickets]

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The RCB, however, has not succeeded in winning the trophy ever as on both occasions they made the final, they ended up as the second best.

RCB lost to Deccan Chargers in 2009 final by 6 runs

The first time the Royals made the IPL final was in 2009 when the tournament was played in South Africa. Winning the toss and bowling first, the RCB bowlers did well to restrict their opponents---the Deccan Chargers (DC)---to 143 for the loss of 6 wickets. Skipper Anil Kumble led from the front to grab 4 wickets for just 16 runs in the match which was played in Johannesburg. []

But RCB's batsmen let them down as they lost 6 wickets for less than 100 and ended six runs short of the DC's total. RCB's current captain Virat Kohli could manage just seven off eight deliveries. Former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist was the captain of the winning side.

RCB lost to Chennai Super Kings in 2011 final by 58 runs

The RCB's second forgettable final was in the 2011 edition when they were defeated by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 58 runs. []

In this final, Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat and the CSK went on to put up a huge 205 for 5 wickets in their 20-over innings. The 159-run opening partnership between Murli Vijay (95) and Michael Hussey (63) took the match away from the RCB. Chris Gayle was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 34.

Chasing 206, the RCB lost two early wickets but the two batsmen in form this year---Kohli and AB de Villiers---gave hope to the Bengulurean fans but the dismissal of de Villiers in the seventh over and that of Kohli in the 10th over dashed all dreams. The RCB finished at 147 for 8 wickets, thanks to a 21-ball 21 by Zaheer Khan at No. 9. Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the CSK bowlers with 3 for 16.

This victory gave the CSK their second consecutive trophy while the RCB failed yet another time. Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was their captain this time.

Neither DC nor CSK exists today

Incidentally, both the teams to which the RCB has lost in the finals till date, exist no more.

The RCB now has got a third chance to make history. They are one of the few teams in the IPL who have not won the title even once. Can they do it this time?