Speaking to reporters after RCB won their maiden title, Flower said the one-week suspension of IPL turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the team.
Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower credited Operation Sindoor as it gave them a much-needed break and helped players recover from their injuries. He also admitted that RCB were a “little slow off the blocks” before the one-week suspension of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The tournament was suspended for a week due to nationwide security measures undertaken by Indian armed forces in response to escalating border tensions with Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters after RCB won their maiden title, Flower said the suspension turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the team. “The break gave Hazlewood time to recover, and crucially, it gave Rajat time to recover with his hand. But we still missed Tim David and Devdutt Padikkal from our initial squad. They were huge parts of our campaign. For those who believe in fate, I’m sure they’ll find a story to tell. There were obviously bigger things at play than RCB winning the trophy at that time — and we all recognised that. But yes, it did give us a bit of breathing space,” he added.
RCB shines as a unit
At the time of the halt, RCB was in the second position with 16 points from 11 games. Unlike previous editions where the burden fell on a few stars like Virat Kohli, this season saw contributions from across the squad — with Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, and Krunal Pandya all stepping up when it mattered most.
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Hazlewood, who finished as RCB’s top wicket-taker this season, bagged 22 wickets in just 12 games. Rajat Patidar, who missed two games due to injury, ended the season with 312 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 143.77. However, it was his captaincy that earned him all the praise.
“I think one of the most impressive things about what Rajat has done this year is that, as an inexperienced captain, he hasn’t let it affect him. I don’t think it has impacted his batting at all,” Flower said.
“Leading RCB is no easy task. When I think back to how I captained at his age, I realise just how tough it is — which makes me admire the way he’s handled the pressure and led the team, especially with so many big names in the squad,” he added.
