AHMEDABAD: Acquiring a potent bowling unit during the mega auction and targeting players with experience were “huge first steps” in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) journey to their maiden IPL title, said head coach Andy Flower.
RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in a gripping final on Tuesday, finally laying their hands on the coveted trophy in the tournament’s 18th edition. Flower credited the team’s auction strategy for laying the foundation for this historic success.
“The auction is a huge first step — you have to try and get it as right as possible. One key aspect of (team director) Mo’s [Mo Bobat] philosophy was to distribute value more equitably rather than spending heavily on big-name batsmen — although they are, of course, outstanding players,” Flower told the media after RCB’s win.
“There was a strong, unwavering focus on assembling a quality bowling attack — that was recognised as absolutely essential from the very beginning.”
The victory also saw batting great Virat Kohli finally realise his long-cherished dream of lifting the IPL trophy.
“I know after day one of the auction, we were copping a bit of flak. People thought we were investing rather than spending. But that gave us an opportunity to extract real value on the second day,” the former Zimbabwe captain explained.
Flower highlighted some of the players the franchise secured during the auction, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last November.
“We had the funds available to pick up real quality. We brought in guys like Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Krunal (Pandya), Tim David, and Romario Shepherd on the second day — that proved very important,” he said.
He also praised young spinner Suyash Sharma, saying, “Suyash has done really well for us — our little leggie. I thought he handled himself superbly throughout the season.”
Krunal Pandya’s match-winning performance (4-0-17-2) also drew special praise from the coach.
“Krunal is a big-match player and a fierce competitor. That spell today was the defining difference between the sides.”
Flower added that RCB’s experienced core played a key role in handling the pressure of the final.
“We spoke about it during our planning meetings yesterday and again in the huddle before the match — we had a good group of seasoned cricketers,” he said.
“Players like Virat (Kohli), (Josh) Hazlewood, and Krunal Pandya were key. Their recruitment was guided by their big-match experience. Hazlewood has played in World Cup finals. Virat is used to the biggest stages. And for Krunal, this is now his fourth IPL title — so bringing in players like him was crucial.”
Flower said while a total of 190/9 didn’t seem massive at first glance, the team trusted their bowlers to defend it.
“Yes, 190 didn’t feel like a huge score at this venue — the average winning score this season was something around 220. But I wouldn’t call it below par. In a final, scoring 190 requires quality batting,” he said.
“We have a strong bowling unit, and we trusted them to deliver in the second innings.”
Flower also acknowledged the contributions of Dinesh Karthik, who served as mentor and batting coach this season.
“Indian insight and knowledge in our coaching staff was vital this year. DK, in particular, was brilliant as a mentor and batting specialist,” he noted.
“It’s not an easy transition from playing to coaching, but he’s made it look seamless. It’s clear he’s had a significant impact on the batting group.”
Commenting on the pitch conditions, Flower said a touch of moisture made batting challenging early on.
“There was a bit of moisture in the pitch initially — it held up a little, which made batting trickier during the first innings. We would have bowled first if we’d won the toss,” he revealed.
“It might have seemed a bit slow to many, but there were little cameos throughout from the batting group — aggressive and well-timed efforts that helped us reach 190.”
“Scoring 190 in a final, with all the pressure that comes with it, is no small feat. Even though we lost the toss, we handled ourselves extremely well,” he concluded.
