Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) IPL jerseys over the years

Indian Premier League (IPL), arguably the world's most popular cricketing extravaganza, is gearing up to treat its global fans with yet another riveting episode. With defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on March 22, the 17^th edition of the cash-rich league will kick off.

With fans already rooting for their favourite teams and players, the hype and excitement of the premier franchise T20 league is slowly intensifying. RCB, as always, will enter the tournament as one of the favourites, and it remains to be seen if they can fulfil their dream - “Ee Sala Cup Namde” - this time around. 

However, despite not winning the prestigious title, the Bengaluru-based franchise has managed to garner the most loyal and dynamic fan base. This is largely due to their star-studded players in the ranks, who impact the lives of their fans through their on-field heroics and off-field personas. Nowadays cricketers give importance to their style and appearance and their playing kits are also designed accordingly. RCB's red and black dominant colour theme jersey is one of the most striking jerseys in the IPL.

Also Check: IPL 2024 Schedule

On that note, let's take a look at the evolution of the RCB jersey from the inaugural edition:

1. 2008  

RCB are one of the eight teams that participated in the inaugural season of IPL. Karnataka cricketer Rahul Dravid was chosen as the icon player of the franchise. The team had superstars like Jacques Kallis, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Virat Kohli and Ross Taylor. However, it was one of the worst seasons RCB had in their history, winning just four out of 14 matches and finishing seventh in the points table.

The jersey colours of the team in 2008 were similar to the unofficial Kannada flag - red and golden yellow - with the player’s name printed in white and numbers printed in black. American fitness footwear and clothing brand Reebok was their kit manufacturer and also the chest sponsor. Liquor brand Royal Challenge was their shirt sponsor for both the front and back side.

2. 2009

After enduring an underwhelming season, RCB bounced back in the 2009 edition to record one of their best outings in IPL history. England great Kevin Pietersen was signed by the franchise for a record sum of INR 9.8 Crore and appointed as their captain. They struggled in their initial matches under the new captain, winning just two of their first six games. However, the team's fortunes changed when Anil Kumble took over as captain after Pietersen left for national duty. They finished the tournament as runners-up.  

Red dominated their jersey colours this time. Sponsors remained the same - Reebok as kit manufacturer and chest sponsor, Royal Challengers as shirt sponsor. The player's name was written in golden yellow colours while the jersey number was written in black. 

3. 2010 

In the third edition of IPL, the shades of yellow on the RCB jersey were replaced with gold. Golden colours were given on both sides and shoulders. The player's name was written in white and the jersey number in black. Royal Challenge remained their shirt sponsor on the front, while McDowell's No.1 replaced the former on the rear. Kit maker Reebok was replaced by beverage company White & Mackay as the chest sponsor. 

As far as their campaign is concerned, RCB had a decent one in the 2010 edition. Led by legendary spinner Kumble, the team finished fourth in the table. But they lost to Mumbai Indians in the semi-finals.

4. 2011

Two more teams debuted in the 2011 season. Daniel Vettori was given the leadership responsibility for the new season. Virat Kohli was the only player retained before the auction and, importantly, the franchise signed up legendary AB de Villiers. Another great season for RCB, finishing as runners-up, but yet again they failed to get their hands on the coveted title.

Starting from this season, blue was introduced on their outfit as a tertiary colour. Both sides of the jersey and shoulders were blue. Even the player's name and number on the back are given in blue colours with a white border. Reebok continued as the kit manufacturer, while McDowell's No.1 and Royal Challenge swapped their shirt sponsorship roles. 

Also Check: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL jerseys over the years

5. 2012 

RCB did not make any changes to their jersey colour theme in the new season. But there was a change in sponsorship. McDowell's No.1 took over shirt sponsorship of both the front and back side, while Royal Challenge was their chest sponsor.  

Talking about their performance, the Vettori-led team failed to enter the playoffs for the first time since 2009 as they finished fifth in the table. Notably, West Indies power-hitter Chris Gayle was the highest run scorer of the tournament for the second year in a row, scoring 733 runs at an average of 61.08 with seven fifties and one hundred.

6. 2013 

No changes in their attire, but RCB took a big step forward in their leadership. Batting stalwart Virat Kohli was named captain of the side. They started their campaign by winning their first six home games but failed to continue the momentum in away matches. As a result, they had to settle for sixth place in the points table.  

While the colour and stitching everything remained the same from the past season, their sponsorship had seen a slight change. With Royal Challenge sponsoring the back and chest of the shirt, McDowell's No.1’s name only appeared on the front side. 

7. 2014 

From 2014, players' names and jersey numbers were printed in gold. A notable change in sponsorship is that Chinese multinational technology corporation Huawei became their shirt sponsor for the front side. McDowell's No.1 was nowhere in the scene as Kingfisher took over sponsorship for the back side and Royal Challenge remained on the chest part.

As far as RCB's performance is concerned, 2014 was one of their worst seasons. Despite the legendary trio of Kohli, De Villiers and Gayle in the team, a series of dismal outings pushed them to the ninth position in the standings. 

8. 2015 

The eighth edition of the IPL saw RCB making several changes to their kit. A collared jersey was used this season with the usage of a more yellowish shade of gold colour. German athletic apparel Adidas replace Reebok as their kit manufacturer. Huawei and Kingfisher remained shirt sponsors for the front and back sides, respectively, while Midea appeared on the chest part. 

Changes were also seen in their performances as RCB had a great season in 2015 although their trophy drought continued. With De Villiers and Kohli entering the list of top 5 leading run-scorers, RCB managed to reach the playoffs. However, they suffered a three-wicket loss to Chennai Super Kings in the Qualifier 2. 

9. 2016 

A dream season for RCB and their hardcore fans. The iconic trio of Gayle, Kohli and De Villiers turned on their beast mode. Making a staggering 973 runs from 16 matches, the RCB captain led the charge to take his team to the finals. RCB's hopes of lifting the maiden title were high, but they ended up suffering a heartbreaking loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad.  

RCB entered the 2016 season with a redesigned logo that enlarged the lion symbol on the crest and removed the shield. They also incorporated black as a secondary colour. Notably, they were the first team in IPL to adopt different jerseys for home and away matches. RCB introduced a green-coloured jersey to spread the ‘Go Green’ initiative. While Zeven replaced Adidas as the kit manufacturer, Hero Cycles replaced Huawei as the front-side jersey sponsor and Lloyd replaced Midea on the chest side.

10. 2017

The kit design remained similar to the previous version, but there was a change in sponsorship. While Kingfisher remained the jersey sponsor for the back side, Chinese smartphone maker Gionee replaced Hero Cycles as the main sponsor.

After a stellar run in the 2016 season, RCB had a terrible campaign this time around, finishing at the bottom of the points table. This was mainly because their big guns - Gayle, Kohli and De Villiers - failed to fire in the top order. None of the three featured in the list of top 15 leading run-scorers. 

11. 2018 

RCB's poor run of form continued as they finished sixth in the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Chris Gayle was no longer part of the team, but Kohli and De Villers carried the team through their batting heroics. However, it was never easy for them to enjoy success without a collective team effort.

The franchise did not make any changes to their uniform design. However, there were a few changes in the sponsorship role. Eros Now, an Indian sub subscription-based over-the-top (OTT) platform became the main jersey sponsor. Meanwhile, Duraguard Cement saw their name printed on the back and American multinational information technology company HP on the chest side.

12. 2019 

RCB have retained their kit design for four consecutive years. Their performance also dropped consistently as they again finished last in the points table. Barring Yuzvendra Chahal, none of the RCB bowlers performed well in the season. While skipper Kohli finished as the tournament’s right top-scorer, De Villers failed to live up to the expectations.

While Zeven continued as their kit manufacturer for the straight fourth year, Wrogn, an Indian luxury brand of fashion and apparel goods (owned by Virat Kohli), took over the main jersey sponsorship. On the other hand, Pillsbury Cookie Cake and Valvoline replaced Duraguard Cement and HP as back-side and chest-side jersey sponsorship, respectively.

Also Check: Punjab Kings (PBKS) IPL jerseys over the years

13. 2020

With a bigger lion and crown returning from the previous logo, RCB unveiled a new logo for the 2020 season. The RC emblem was omitted and a trace of the lion element in the logo was given on the front of the jersey. A darker shade of blue replaced black as the secondary colour.

Zeven’s four-year stint as a kit manufacturer ended with Wrogn replacing them. Muthoot Fincorp, DP World and Myntra feature on the front, back and chest of the jersey respectively. RCB managed to get back on track as they entered the playoffs for the 2020 season. However, they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator. 

14. 2021

The kit design remained the same in the 2021 edition, but they introduced a new jersey as a tribute to the Covid-19 frontline workers. RCB players don blue jerseys in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but apart from the colour, the design and everything else remained the same.

Meanwhile, German multinational corporation Puma became their kit manufacturer. Muthoot Fincorp and DP World continued their sponsorship role, but Exide featured on the chest instead of Myntra. RCB had a decent back-to-back outing as they finished third in the points table but failed to clear the knockout hurdle yet again.

15. 2022

No changes in the sponsorship roles, but they completely redesigned the jersey. Deep blue became the dominant shade with gold accents overtaking red, which was predominantly used on the trousers. A gradient of black and red colours was used to print the trace of the lion element in the logo.

A massive change in the leadership role was seen in RCB ahead of the 2022 IPL season. Virat Kohli passed on the captaincy baton to South Africa’s Faf du Plessis. The franchise had another good outing, finishing fourth in the standings, but the trophy drought continued.

Also Check: Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL jerseys over the years

16. 2023 

Puma remained their kit manufacturer and they made no design changes to the attire. However, Muthoot Fincorp was replaced by Qatar Airways as the t-shirt sponsor on the front side, while, KEI and Happilo, a health food brand, took over as sponsors for the back and chest, respectively.

RCB, who finished sixth in the points table, failed to enter the playoffs of the 16th edition. Their skipper Du Plessis alongside veteran Kohli has had a brilliant campaign - featuring in the list of top 5 leading run scorers - but they failed to perform well as a team.

17. 2024

RCB unveiled their new jersey ahead of the 2024 season at a magical ‘Unbox’ event held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The name of the franchise has also been officially changed to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The new jersey features shades of dark blue instead of the previous black to complement the dominant red.

A new logo emblazoned on the left chest was also unveiled at the star-studded event. The red colour slides down to the bottom and the dazzling blue reigns supreme on the crest, giving the jersey a more flamboyant look than ever. A roaring lion featured in their logo is also given on the front with a striped pattern. 

However, many fans found it similar to Delhi Capitals' kit for the 2022 season. Qatar Airways continues in the role of title sponsors to see their logo printed on the front of the jersey, while logistics company Delhivery does the chest branding