Bangalore Royal Challengers Team – IPL 2009
Vijay Mallya would currently be one happy man; not only does he possess the world’s most flamboyant and
maverick batsman in Kevin Pietersen, but his other selection in Jesse Ryder has had a series of run-stack. This wasn’t the case 10 months back, as his team Bangalore Royal Challengers hurtled from one defeat to another to finally finish penultimate in the list of eight teams.
The erstwhile CEO of the team, Charu Sharma was sacked mid-way through the tournament and Rahul Dravid some days back as the skipper. Martin Crowe did not last long either and Ray Jennings has now taken over as the coach while captaincy will be shared by Kevin Pietersen and Jacques Kallis. On March 21, 2009 Vijay Mallya announced that Kevin Pietersen was replacing Rahul Dravid as the team captain for the 2009 season.The reason given was Dravid’s absence in the league due to family related reasons
The last of the aforesaid is not surprising given that Mallya had openly questioned the team that was selected last year and pointed fingers at both Dravid and Charu.
The owner clearly expects something much better this time around. And so, apart from the inclusion of the duo, Mumbai’s Robin Uthappa has been taken in at the expense of Zaheer Khan; a move that Mallya may come to repent later. Zaheer Khan’s form amongst other things makes him a prized possession; especially given that he is not a foreigner ensuring that he will be able to feature in all matches. In fact, RCB seem to have filled their coffers with batsmen having an aggressive intent, but are a little shorn in their bowling; some that may come to haunt them during the tournament.
Bangalore Royal Challengers Team 2009 IPL Matches
| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 April | Rajasthan Royals | Cape Town | Won by 75 runs, MoM – Rahul Dravid – 66 (48) |
| 2 | 20 April | Chennai Super Kings | Port Elizabeth | Lost by 92 runs |
| 3 | 22 April | Deccan Chargers | Cape Town | Lost by 24 runs |
| 4 | 24 April | Kings XI Punjab | Durban | Lost by 7 Wickets |
| 5 | 26 April | Delhi Daredevils | Port Elizabeth | Lost by 6 wickets |
| 6 | 29 April | Kolkata Knight Riders | Durban | Won by 5 Wickets, MoM -- Mark Boucher -- 25* (13) |
| 7 | 1 May | Kings XI Punjab | Durban | Won by 8 runs |
| 8 | 3 May | Mumbai Indians | Johannesburg | Won by 9 wickets, MoM -- Jacques Kallis -- 69* (59) |
| 9 | 7 May | Rajasthan Royals | Centurion | Lost by 7 wickets |
| 10 | 10 May | Mumbai Indians | Port Elizabeth | |
| 11 | 12 May | Kolkata Knight Riders | Centurion | |
| 12 | 14 May | Chennai Super Kings | Durban | |
| 13 | 19 May | Delhi Daredevils | Johannesburg | |
| 14 | 21 May | Deccan Chargers | Centurion |
Royal Challengers Bangalore Promo
The official theme of the team is Royal Challengers Ka Josh Hay and the official colors are Red & Yellow team.
