Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been wearing a special green jersey for one match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) every season since 2011 as part of its “Go Green” initiative. The commendable campaign aims to raise awareness about environmental conservation and promote sustainable practices. The jerseys themselves, made from recycled materials, are a symbol of this commitment.
While the main focus of the “Go Green” initiative is environmental awareness, the team’s performance in these green jerseys has become a topic of interest and discussion among fans. For many years, RCB has been under the “green jersey bad luck” due to the record of the fewest wins in these special matches. However, recent results indicate a possible change in this story. RCB has played a total of 15 matches wearing the green jersey, winning 5 of them.
1. May 8, 2011 vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala (Bengaluru):
RCB began their green jersey journey with a stunning 9-wicket win at their home ground. This win set a positive precedent for the initiative. In this Match, Kochi Tuskers Kerala scored 125 runs after batting first. In response, RCB easily chased down the target in 13.1 overs with the loss of only one wicket. Chris Gayle scored an unbeaten 44 runs in 16 deliveries, and his opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan scored 52 runs in 31 balls.
2. May 14, 2016 vs Gujarat Lions (Bengaluru)
This match is memorable for RCB fans not just for the green jersey win but also for the dominance shown. RCB won by a mammoth 144 runs thanks to a brilliant century from Virat Kohli (109 off 55 balls). This is their biggest margin of victory in a “go green” game. In match number 44 of IPL 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore faced Gujarat Lions at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. Gujarat Lions captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and decided to field first. In the first 4 overs, Gujarat’s bowling attack dominated Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli. Even in the fourth over of the innings, Gayle was dismissed by Dhawal Kulkarni for just 6 runs. But after this, AB de Villiers played a wonderful innings. He scored 129 runs in just 52 balls, which included 10 fours and 12 sixes. At the same time, Virat Kohli also played a century innings of 109 runs in 55 balls, which included 5 fours and 8 sixes. Both of them shared a partnership of 229 runs in just 96 balls for the second wicket. This is the biggest partnership in the history of the Indian Premier League. In this match, RCB scored 248 runs for the loss of just 3 wickets. In response, Gujarat Lions were all out for just 104 runs. It will be very difficult for any pair to break the record of the 229-run partnership of these two legendary players in the upcoming cricket matches of the IPL.
3. May 8, 2022 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (Mumbai)
After a poor few years in the green jersey, RCB bounced back with a comprehensive 67-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai. The win was significant as it was one of their few green jersey wins away from Bengaluru. In this match, RCB scored 192 runs after batting first. In response, SRH were bowled out on 125 runs only. In this match, RCB’s Wanindu Hasaranga took a fifer against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
4. April 23, 2023 vs Rajasthan Royals (Bengaluru)
In a closely fought match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB defeated Rajasthan Royals by a slim margin of 7 runs. This win helped to reduce the talk of the “jinx” at home. In this Match, RCB scored 189 runs after batting first. Faf du Plessis scored 62 runs in 39 balls, while Glenn Maxwell scored 77 runs in 44 balls. In response, the Rajasthan Royals could manage to reach only 182 runs in 20 overs.
5. April 13, 2025 vs Rajasthan Royals (Jaipur)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s recent win is perhaps the most significant in terms of the “green jersey jinx”. During IPL 2025, RCB takes on Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. RCB put up a brilliant performance, defeating Rajasthan Royals by 9 wickets. Rajasthan Royals scored 173/4 runs after batting first. For RR, Yashasvi Jaiswal played a sensational 75-run innings. In response, RCB easily chased the target in 17.3 overs with only the loss of one wicket. Phil Salt scored 65 runs in 33 balls, while Virat Kohli played an unbeaten 62-run innings.
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