Former RCB fast bowler Dale Steyn has picked the top 5 greatest bowlers to play for RCB, and he has placed Punjab Kings spinner Yuzvendra Chahal at the top of the list, while Josh Hazlewood is at the position.
After winning the IPL trophy for the first time, the respect of Royal Challengers Bangalore has increased. So former RCB player Dale Steyn was asked to pick the top 5 bowlers for Royal Challengers Bangalore from among the players who have played for them in the last 2 decades.
Royal Challengers has indeed been home to famous bowlers. From Jacques Kallis to Anil Kumble in the early seasons, to Dale Steyn and Mitchell Starc in the later seasons, many world-class bowlers have played in the red shirt. Players like Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj are players who got recognition after playing and performing for the Royal Challengers.
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Dale Steyn picks RCB’s top 5 bowlers of all time
Who are Dale Steyn’s top five RCB bowlers of all time? 👀 pic.twitter.com/kSrHA540ly
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) 10 April 2026
5. Anil Kumble
Legendary South African fast bowler Dale Steyn was given the responsibility of picking the top 5 best RCB bowlers of all time on the ESPNcricinfo show and he did justice to the role.
He chose 5 players according to his ratings, and chose former Royal Challengers captain Anil Kumble at number. 5. The veteran spinner was one of the greatest cricketers to play for him and Steyn praised Chinnaswamy for his brilliant performance.
He said, “I am going to start with Mr Anil Kumble. A spinner who bowls a lot in Chinnaswamy, the way he has done, he is making my top five.”
4. Harshal Patel
Steyn then singled out former medium pacer Harshal Patel and praised his performances in the IPL for the Royal Challengers. The cricketer now plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad and was part of the Royal Challengers camp between 2012 and ’17, and a second stint between 2021 and ’23.
“The next name on my list is Harshal Patel; his numbers alone tell me he is a wicket-taking bowler, and his economy rate is really good, and his impact in terms of helping RCB win games is also huge,” Steyn claimed.
After not taking many wickets in his first stint of the season with RCB, Harshal’s success looks set to be staggering between 2021 and 2023. He took 34 wickets in 5 seasons till 2017, but then returned to his old position in 2021 and took 32 wickets in a record-breaking season.
3. Michelle Starke
Third choice Dale Steyn can shock anyone. He kept himself out and selected Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc in his list. The Australian fast bowler is known as one of the highest wicket takers in the history of red and white ball cricket.
Starc has just played two seasons for the Royal Challengers and has taken 34 wickets in 27 matches at an economy of around 7 runs per over. Steyn could not avoid putting him in this list citing his incredible records.
He said, “No. 3, so, you can’t go very far without leaving this guy out. Mitchell Starc is such a wicket-taking bowler; his economy rate is fantastic and a great gun when it comes to taking wickets and even scoring runs.”
2. Josh Hazlewood
Dale Steyn picked only one name who is currently part of the Royal Challengers squad, and that was Australian seamer Josh Hazlewood, who had a big role in the Royal Challengers’ first title win. However, his availability this season is a matter of concern after a reported injury.
“No. 2 – Josh Hazlewood. Incredible bowler, his strike rate is 13, so basically every two overs he’s taking a wicket, so it’s pretty magical,” Steyn explained.
1. Yuzvendra Chahal
Ultimately, Steyn picked legendary leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal as the best bowler for RCB. The experienced spinner is very fond of Chinnaswamy and has taken more than 100 wickets at this ground. Chahal is the highest wicket-taker of RCB and IPL so far.
“The number one spot is Yuzi Chahal. He strikes every 17 balls, his economy rate is 7.6 and he has taken the most wickets, so he is number one for me.”
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