2009, 2011, 2016 – RCB’s years of agony. Three times the team from Bengaluru qualified for the final and on each occasion, the night ended in misery. Yet, they kept fighting, but nothing worked. With frustration and a hope for a better future, Virat Kohli eventually relinquished captaincy in the 2021 season. That move didn’t work either. In 2025, things finally changed. RCB appointed Rajat Patidar as captain and, most importantly, focused on an all-round squad, rather than a top-heavy one.
