Rating Royal Challengers Banglore's performance in each IPL from 2008-2018

2009 - Kevin Pietersen and Anil Kumble lead the team to the IPL final in South Africa

Kevin Pietersen was named the captain ahead of the season, but Anil Kumble led the team from the middle of the season

Kevin Pietersen was signed by the Bangalore franchise for a whopping amount of 1.55 million USD in the auctions as the owners wanted improvement in the team's performance.

They also traded Robin Uthappa and local boy Manish Pandey, who would go on to become the first Indian player to score a century in the league.

RCB got off to a blistering start to their campaign in 2009 as they dismantled defending champions Rajasthan Royals in their opening match by 75 runs.

However, they suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of CSK in their next match. RCB could win only two of its first six matches and Kevin Pietersen handed the reins of the team to veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble.

Under Kumble's captaincy, the team won six out of its next eight matches and locked their position in the top 4.

They defeated the Chennai Super Kings in the semifinal and set up a clash with Deccan Chargers in the season's finale.

Kumble performed brilliantly with the ball in the final but the RCB batsmen failed to chase down a target of 144 as they fell short by six runs in the end.

Overall, the team's performance improved a lot as compared to 2008 as the team finished runners-up in South Africa.

Rating - 8.5/10