IPL: Ranking RCB's three greatest batters of all time
Over the years, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have made some interesting moves at the auction table, but batting has been their core strength since the start of the league in 2008.
2. AB de Villiers
The former Proteas skipper started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils in 2008, and he scored 671 runs in 28 games before he was let go by the franchise in 2011. RCB was smart enough to bet on AB de Villiers and had to shell out INR 5 crores for him. In his debut season for RCB, de Villiers made 312 runs in 16 games at an average of 34.66 and a strike rate of 128.39.
He scored over 900 runs during the next three seasons and was among the most consistent batters. De Villiers peaked during the 2015 edition of the league as he passed the 500-run mark for the first time. He also recorded his maiden century in the league during that season and finished with 513 runs in 16 games at a strike rate of 175.08. De Villiers was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the tournament, and RCB finished in the third position.
The 2016 season was the best for both RCB and de Villiers. De Villiers scored 687 runs that season at an average of 52.84 and was involved in the highest partnership in IPL's history along with Virat Kohli. The Superman from South Africa bid adieu to IPL after the 14th edition and was inducted into the RCB Hall of Fame last year. He made 4522 runs in 157 games at an average of 41.1 and a strike rate of 158.33 for RCB.
Download Our App