IPL: 5 popular capped players you didn't know were once a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore

Fans remember the likes of Manish Pandey, Dale Steyn, Robin Uthappa etc. representing the franchise and putting in stellar performances. However, other famous players either failed to get a few games under their belt or were simply poor as a result of which the team let them go.

Here, we look at five famous players who have represented their respective national teams and were once a part of RCB.

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#5 Karn Sharma

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Currently plying his trade for the Chennai Super Kings, Karn Sharma featured in the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad in the 2009 season when they finished runners-up. Karn Sharma, however, didn't represent the side in either the IPL or the Champions League T20.

The Railways' regular was later signed up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 where he responded with mature performances ultimately leading to his selection in the Indian team.

#4 Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik struggled with the bat for RCB

The IPL veteran Dinesh Karthik has played in a number of IPL teams, including the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The wicketkeeper-batsman was a part of the RCB side in 2015 but had a terrible time with the bat.

Under Virat Kohli's captaincy, Dinesh Karthik had a mediocre season. The player who was bought for an eye-opening 105 crores played 16 games in 2015 but scored only 141 runs at an average of 12.81. His only positive contribution was that he affected 14 catches and four stumpings which is his best in the IPL yet.

#3 Pankaj Singh

Pankaj Singh had two forgettable stints with RCB

Those who remember Pankaj Singh will remember him for the two matches he played against England in the 2014 series. The tall, burly fast bowler from Rajasthan was only the fourth pacer from India to take 400 wickets in first-class cricket.

He signed with the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural IPL before transferring to Royal Challengers Bangalore for the second season. The former Indian pacer made his debut with the RCB side where he picked up four wickets at an economy of just under 10 in the five games he played in 2009 and 2010.

The Rajasthan Royals once again bought him in 2011. However, he was traded back to the Challengers in 2013 for the sixth season where he did not play a single game.

#2 Steve Smith

Steve Smith and Virat Kohli

Steve Smith vs Virat Kohli is, without a doubt, cricket's version of the Messi vs Ronaldo debate. What if Messi and Ronaldo played on the same team? What if Steve Smith and Virat Kohli played in the same team?

Few would believe that this happened. In the 2010 IPL season, following an injury to Jesse Ryder, Steve Smith was brought in as a replacement. However, he failed to make it to the starting 11 as RCB finished third.

During the 2011 IPL auction, he was bought by the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala side for $200,000. However, an ankle injury meant he did not play that season either. The next season, Kochi Tuskers were dropped from the IPL and Smith was put up for auction.

Although he went unsold, he was brought in as a replacement for Mitchell Marsh and went on to win the Man-of-the-match Award in his debut game.

#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

RCB was Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first IPL team

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was 18 when the Royal Challengers Bangalore first signed him. Coming in as a replacement for the injured Jesse Ryder, the Meerut-born pacer spent most of his time warming the benches.

He made his debut for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the now-defunct Champions League Twenty20 tournament in 2009-10 conceding 31 runs in 4 overs. Now 27, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has picked up 120 wickets in just 101 games at an economy of just 7.18 runs per over.

The right-arm medium-fast bowler who swings the ball both ways made his IPL debut in 2011 for the Pune Warriors where he bowled economically, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker for the team.

The handy lower-order batsman also conceded just 23 runs in his quota of four overs in the record 263 runs Bangalore side made against them and has hurt his former team on numerous occasions.