Top five: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers top RCB's all time run getters' list

NEW DELHI: In the past 12 editions of the Indian Premier League, there have been a plethora of runs scored by all teams. And one team that has just always been at the top of the run charts is Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Even though the star-studded team has not been able to clinch the title so far, they have always had an impeccable batting line-up that has demolished every opposition multiple times in the tournament's history.
Although, on a few occasions that perfect batting order also crumbled, but more often than not the RCB batsmen have enjoyed their outings out in the middle, giving the fans many many moments to cherish, while dishing out one and headache after another to the opposition.
TimesofIndia.com here takes a look at the top run-getters for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the past 12 editions:
Virat Kohli - 5,412 runs in 177 matches

Run-machine Virat Kohli has been on a completely different level than most others when it comes scoring runs in the IPL. Apart from dominating in the international arena, the batting virtuoso has perfectly replicated his class in the IPL and has had tremendous success in the competition. Not only is Virat the skipper of the franchise but the prolific batsman has always ensured that he leads his team by example, putting up some phenomenal performances with the bat over the years. Virat has so far scored 5,412 runs for RCB and is not only their premier batsman, but also tops the run charts across teams and is currently the highest run-getter in the competition after 12 editions. Since his IPL debut back in 2008, Virat has been associated with only RCB and in the 177 matches he has played so far for the franchise, he has always been two steps ahead of his team mates when it comes to scoring runs. With 5 centuries, Virat is only behind Chris Gayle (6) in terms of most centuries in the IPL. To go with that Virat also has 36 fifties to his name which have had a big impact on his average of 37.84. And runs for the top-order batsman have come at a brisk pace as well, at a strike rate of 131.61, ensuring that his team gets that perfect platform for the big total while batting first or while chasing
AB de Villiers - 3,724 runs in 126 matches

Virat Kohli's partner in crime and one of the most admired foreign cricketers in the IPL, AB de Villiers has had a sensational run at RCB. After the initial three years with the Delhi Daredevils (2008-2010), de Villiers was bought by the Bangalore-based franchise ahead of the 2011 edition. And since then de Villiers has been the heart-throb of the team and its fans. One of the most dynamic batsmen in world cricket in recent times, de Villiers has just been sensational on the field for RCB. In the 126 matches that he has so far represented the franchise in, Mr.360 has scored 3,724 runs at a staggering average of 41.84 and sits second on the list of highest run-scorers for the franchise. de Villiers' multiple jaw-dropping partnerships with skipper Virat have often brought the opposition down to their knees. On certain occasions, de Villiers has also single-handedly taken the game away from the opposition in the blink of an eye. One of the most devastating batsmen in the competition, de Villiers has always been the cleanest strikers of the ball and runs for him in the IPL have come at a phenomenal strike rate of 159.55. To go with that, a couple of centuries including a highest score of 133* and 30 fifties make de Villiers an invaluable asset for RCB.

Chris Gayle - 3,163 runs in 85 matches

Aged 40, Chris Gayle in the last couple of years has found it difficult to get a buyer for himself in the IPL, but his reputation of being the 'most destructive batsman' still continues to work in his favour and in the upcoming 2020 edition the world is set to see the Gayle-storm in the UAE. But for Gayle, even the pundits would agree, his prime as a batsman in the IPL was when he was in RCB. The Jamaican was just unstoppable during that phase. From 2011 to 2017, Gayle spent a majority of his time in the IPL at RCB and just played some of the most mind-boggling knocks in the tournament's history. Even after his exit from the franchise before the 2018 edition, Gayle with 3,163 runs still sits in third place on the list of top run-getters for RCB. In the 85 matches that Gayle represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise in, the left-handed giant scored runs at a phenomenal average of 43.32. Five out of his six centuries came when Gayle was playing for RCB. And the most highlighted feature of Galye's batting was his strike rate at which he got those runs. Smoking the ball all around the park at a strike rate of 152.72 was something that Gayle did with absolute ease. The self proclaimed Universe Boss, who has hit the most sixes in the competition (326), struck 239 of them during his stint with RCB. To go with that the destructive opener also has 19 fifties to his name, playing for RCB.
Jacques Kallis - 1132 runs in 42 matches

One of the best all-rounders to have ever played the game, Jacques Kallis was also exceptional in the IPL. Although Kallis retired as a Knight Rider in 2014 after a four-year stint with the franchise, during his initial days in the competition, Kallis was a core member of RCB. From 2008 to 2010, Kallis was an integral part of the RCB set-up, who played crucial roles in all the three aspects of the game. But the most highlighted part of his performance was the 1,132 runs that Kallis scored in 42 matches playing for the franchise. Such was Kallis's impact when he played in RCB colours that he is still fourth on the list of top run-getters for RCB across all 12 editions. To go with a steady average of 31.44, Kallis ended up scoring those runs at a decent strike rate of 112.19. Playing the role of an anchor, Kallis on several occasions got RCB out of troubled waters, ensuring his team went on to post a challenging total, even if they struggled during the initial phase of their batting. With 10 fifties, 89* was the South African legend's highest score for RCB.
Rahul Dravid - 898 runs in 43 matches

Even though initially he wasn't seen as an effective T20 player, Rahul Dravid did score over 800 runs for the Bangalore franchise in the IPL. The resilience and never say die attitude of the former India captain helped him play six seasons in the IPL. And not only did Dravid survive in the competition, he excelled, making the pundits doff their hats in admiration. The initial three years of Dravid's IPL career were spent at RCB, where he scored 898 runs in 43 matches. Dravid is in fact the fifth highest run-scorer for RCB till date. Mostly playing the role of an anchor, when the team was in trouble, Dravid managed to score his runs at a decent average of 26.41. And playing out of his skin, Dravid also got his runs at a strike rate of 122.84. Although Dravid's half centuries tally for RCB stands at 4, he was always an invaluable asset for the team, bringing in vast amounts of experience and stability to the side.