RCB did the unthinkable by delivering a killer knockout punch to LSG last night at the EKNA stadium. Just when it seemed like all was over, RCB's stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. His blazing cameo of 85* (33) overshadowed Pant's century as RCB chashed down a mammoth 228 inside the 19th over with six wickets to spare. 

LSG had hoped to spoil RCB's party last night, but the plan never really came to the fore. Despite reducing RCB to 70-3 at one stage, the LSG bowlers lacked the impetus to make further inroads and allowed Jitesh & Co. to get off the hook. Yesterday's win has guaranteed RCB a top-two finish, meaning they will play their Qualifier 1 match against PBKS on May 29. This also gives the franchise two shots at making it to the final, a position they would have ideally hoped to find themselves in. 

Interestingly, in the past, RCB have managed to make it to the final on three occasions in 2009, 2011, and 2016, and faced defeats in all three of them. In this article, we will attempt to revisit those moments when RCB managed to conquer all their opponents along the way before stumbling at the final hurdle. 

See also: WATCH: Relive winning moments of historic win for RCB against LSG in IPL 2025

RCB's road to the IPL Final across seasons

2009 – RCB lost to Deccan Chargers by 6 runs

RCB came might close to tasting their maiden title win during the league's early infancy days. It was the second edition of the IPL, which was played solely in South Africa due to elections that were taking place in India at that time. The stage was set at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg and Kumble led from the front snapping ground-breaking figures of 4-16 to cripple the Deccan Chargers batting lineup and reduce them to 143-6. However, tragedy awaited them in the second half as RCB failed to get their act together with the bat. A combined bowling effort from the Deccan Chargers bowlers, coupled with a poor show from the middle order, turned out to be a recipe for disaster for the RCB as they fell short by a narrow margin of six runs.

2011 – RCB lost to Chennai Super Kings by 58 runs

After a disappointing 2009 final, RCB got another shot a couple of seasons later to create history. This time, they were up against the mighty CSK, and defeating them in their own fortress at Chepauk was going to be no ordinary feat. While batting first, CSK mounted a massive score of 205-5 on the back of Murali Vijay's electrifying knock of 95 (52). In response, RCB faltered in their run chase early doors, with Chris Gayle (0) and Mayank Agarwal (10) falling cheaply. Virat Kohli (35) and AB de Villiers (18) showed some resistance but were dismissed in quick succession. The RCB innings never got going from the onset, and Ashwin emerged as a standout bowler from CSK, taking 3-16, which resulted in a heartbreaking 58-run defeat for RCB in the grand finale.

2016 – RCB lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 runs 

The 2016 IPL final was yet another source of heartbreak for the RCB fans. Despite flying high throughout the majority of the season, RCB flopped big time when it mattered the most and narrowly missed out again, giving SRH their maiden title win. It turned out to be a high-scoring thriller at RCB's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which also happens to be their home ground. SRH posted 208-7 while batting first. David Warner led the charge with a blistering 69 off 38 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes. Yuvraj Singh contributed a quickfire 38 from 23 balls, adding momentum to the innings. The late surge came from Ben Cutting, who smashed 39 off just 15 balls. RCB's chase began with a bang as Gayle and Kohli put on a 114-run opening stand in just 10.3 overs. Gayle's 76 (36), comprising 4 fours and 8 sixes, set the tone. Kohli continued the assault, reaching a half-century before being dismissed for 54 (35). However, the middle order faltered under pressure. Key wickets fell rapidly, including AB de Villiers, KL Rahul, and Shane Watson. Despite a valiant effort, RCB fell short by 8 runs, finishing at 200/7.

Nine years have gone by since RCB made their last appearance in the final. Despite their star-studded line-ups over the years, RCB has yet to clinch the IPL title. But with momentum on their side this year and plenty of talent on the bench, RCB have what it takes to conquer the final summit.