Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have had many captains over the years; some came close but were largely unable to take them towards ultimate glory -- the Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
From Rahul Dravid to Virat Kohli, none of the RCB skipper succeeded in leading the side past the final hurdle as RCB have finished as runners-up in both the finals they have played so far.
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Under the new leadership of Rajat Patidar, RCB are eyeing their first-ever IPL trophy, having already qualified for the playoffs.
Unfortunately, he sufferd a finger injury against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match no. 52 and therefore, he did not lead his team out to the field.
However, he is expected to appear as an impact sub when RCB come on to bat in the second innings. His teammate, Jitesh Sharma was tasked with the stand-in captaincy for the match.
Jitesh became the ninth different captain to lead the Bengaluru-based franchise in the history of the cash-rich league.
The Sporting News takes a look at the different captains RCB has had over the years in the IPL.
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Full list of RCB captains in IPL history
Indian veteran Rahul Dravid was the captain of RCB in the inaugural edition of the IPL. After 14 matches, he was replaced by Kevin Pietersen, who was then replaced after just matches by another Indian veteran, Anil Kumble.
Here's a look at the captains RCB has had over the years:
| Player | No. of matches captained |
| Rahul Dravid | 14 |
| Kevin Pietersen | 6 |
| Anil Kumble | 26 |
| Daniel Vettori | 22 |
| Virat Kohli | 143 |
| Shane Watson | 3 |
| Faf du Plessis | 42 |
| Rajat Patidar | 11 |
| Jitesh Sharma | 1 |
RCB's golden era came under the leadership of Indian superstar Virat Kohli, as they performed really well with the likes of Chris Gayle and AB De Villiers, who were unstoppable on their day.
Under Kohli's captaincy, RCB reached the finals of the 2016 season but eventually lost to last year's runners-up, Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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Jitesh became the latest player to captain the Bengaluru-based franchise, as he is the 9th different skipper to lead the side.
It will be interesting to see if Patidar makes a full-fledged return to the squad before the playoffs as RCB eye their maiden title in 2025.