‘RCB have cracked the IPL formula’: Andy Flower and coaching unit hailed as team reaches back-to-back finals originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- RCB beat GT by 92 runs to reach their second consecutive IPL final.
- Rajat Patidar’s 93* off 33 balls and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 2/28 were the standout performances.
- Andy Flower’s coaching unit is being credited for cracking the IPL formula.
Andy Flower and Co. hailed as RCB reach second consecutive IPL final after beating GT in playoffs
Head coach Andy Flower was praised after defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru qualified for their second straight IPL final on Tuesday night after beating Gujarat Titans by 92 runs at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
RCB batted first and posted a massive 254/5, thanks to captain Rajat Patidar’s innings of 93 off 33 balls. He hit five fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 281.81 to dismantle GT’s bowling attack.
However, it was Virat Kohli who gave the innings a solid foundation with 43 off 25 balls, including five fours and a six, before Krunal Pandya kept the momentum going with another 43 off 28 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes.
In response, GT were bowled out for 162 in 19.3 overs, falling 92 runs short. Rahul Tewatia fought hard with 68 off 43 balls, and Jos Buttler provided a brief burst of 29 off 11 balls.
But those two apart, no other batsman could put up any resistance. Jacob Duffy was RCB’s leading wicket-taker with 3/39. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rasikh Salam each took two wickets, as did Krunal Pandya.
MORE: Amateurs to seasoned champs: RCB’s IPL transformation
Bhuvneshwar Kumar credits the coaching unit
Bhuvneshwar, who now has 26 wickets in 15 matches this season, was particularly impressive with his line and length throughout. After the match, he pointed to the behind-the-scenes planning as the real difference-maker.
“I think a lot of credit goes to the men behind the scenes,” he began. ” It’s everyone. I mean, yes, the experience we brought in, me and Hoff (Hazlewood) is one thing, but yes, when it comes to support staff, the small, small things they’re bringing it, you might avoid that. But if experienced players like Hoff and I are accepted and you apply that rule, it works for us. And I think we’ve been doing that since the first match and it’s helping us a lot.”
MORE: Where will IPL 2026 final be held? Venue, date and timings explained
Bhuvneshwar insisted that when the planning is this thorough, the execution tends to follow.
“If you look at that plan, anything short or fuller, it goes for a boundary. But yes, we make a lot of effort not to give any room and try to get LBW and bowled. So it’s definitely part of our planning,” he added.
Flower and his support staff have drawn wide praise not only from players inside the camp but from fans, who take a keen interest in the sport.
One X user, @c_soubhagya, wrote: “This RCB coaching unit has to be one of the best T20 coaching units I have witnessed. Also I think this is the first time a coaching unit has cracked IPL going beyond the holy trinity of Dhoni, Gambhir and Rohit. RCB are starting a new era in T20 cricket, the age beyond captain.”
Another fan, @CricCrazyNIKS, echoed the same point, adding that what RCB have done is surprisingly simple in theory but very hard in practice.
“And it’s the lesson for all to keep it simple and effective in terms of role clarity,” he wrote quoting his tweet.
“What stands out is how acing identifying right people for right roles can go a long way to cover bases. Deservedly on for their second final in a row. 👏”
And it’s the lesson for all to keep it simple and effective in terms of role clarity.
What stands out is how acing identifying right people for right roles can go a long way to cover bases.
Deservedly on for their second final in a row. 👏 https://t.co/dxCS8yjyCG
— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) May 26, 2026
The Cricket News Opinion: Flower and Co. have done a stupendous job
RCB reaching two consecutive finals with largely the same group and coaching staff deserves praise.
What Flower and this coaching unit have built at RCB is a system and systems outlast individuals. Each player is performing a specific role and everything has been well-rehearsed.
If RCB lift the trophy again this season, the conversation will rightly shift from celebrating the players to acknowledging the people who built the structure around them. And Flower’s name deserves to be at the top of that list.
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