5 players who you may not know played with Virat Kohli at RCB in first ever IPL season ft. Shivnarine Chanderpaul

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 finally brought long-awaited glory to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who clinched their maiden title by defeating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final under the leadership of Rajat Patidar.

It was a complete team effort from the Challengers, with multiple players stepping up at different stages to contribute to the team's success. Yet, one name that stood out, both for his longevity and impact, was star batter Virat Kohli, who has been part of the franchise since its inaugural season in 2008 and was once again a member of the title-winning squad.

The 36-year-old was exceptional in the 2025 edition, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings while opening the batting. He averaged 54.75 and maintained a strike rate of 144.71, registering eight half-centuries and finishing as RCB’s highest run-scorer of the season.

Overall, Kohli has played 267 matches in the IPL, all for RCB, with 143 of those as captain. He is the tournament’s all-time leading run-scorer, amassing a record 8,661 runs at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 132.85, including 63 fifties and eight centuries.

As Kohli continues to create history with RCB, in this article, we take a look at five players you may not know shared the field with him during the very first IPL season back in 2008.

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#5 Cameron White

Former Australian cricketer Cameron White was part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad during the inaugural IPL season in 2008. The right-handed batter played eight matches, scoring 114 runs at an average of 16.28 and a strike rate of 111.76.

White later turned out for both Deccan Chargers and SunRisers Hyderabad. Over the course of his IPL career, he featured in 47 matches and accumulated 954 runs at an average of 26.50 and a strike rate of 126.35, registering six half-centuries.

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#4 Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer was part of the RCB setup alongside a young Virat Kohli during the 2008 IPL season. The right-handed batter played six matches that year, scoring 115 runs at an average of 19.16 and a strike rate of 110.57, which included a half-century.

He made two more appearances in 2009, bringing his total IPL tally to eight matches. Across those games, Jaffer scored 130 runs at an average of 16.25 and a strike rate of 107.43, with a top score of 50.

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#3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul

West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul had a brief stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the inaugural IPL season in 2008. The veteran left-hander played three matches, scoring just 25 runs at an average of 8.33 and a strike rate of 80.64.

His highest score was 16 off 11 balls against Mumbai Indians (MI), as he made little impact overall.

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#2 Abdur Razzak

Former Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak made his only IPL appearance for Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the 2008 season. He featured in a match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), where he bowled two overs and conceded 29 runs.

Rajasthan posted a commanding total of 197/1, powered by an unbeaten 75 off 49 balls from Graeme Smith. In response, RCB managed 132/9, falling short by 65 runs.

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#1 Ashley Noffke

Former Australian all-rounder Ashley Noffke also played alongside Virat Kohli during IPL 2008. He featured in just one game, the very first match in IPL history, against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Noffke scored nine runs off 10 balls and returned figures of 1/40 from four overs.

The match, however, was dominated by Brendon McCullum’s iconic unbeaten 158 off 73 balls, which powered KKR to a mammoth 222/3. RCB were bowled out for just 82, suffering a heavy 140-run defeat.

Edited by Dev Sharma