The stars may finally be aligning as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dominated their way into IPL 2025 Qualifier 1. Their most recent victory over the Lucknow Super Giants was more than just a victory; it was a declaration.
With stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma scoring his first IPL fifty, an undefeated 85 off just 33 balls, RCB demonstrated their potency beyond the typical suspects. It’s an obvious indication that this isn’t the same RCB who would soar to prominence only to falter when the stakes were high.
In the past, RCB had a tendency to make lofty promises but fall short of fulfilling them. Recall that in 2016, they were so close to touching the trophy, yet they let it elude them. However, they’ve changed the situation this time. The days of depending just on cricketing titans like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat Kohli are long gone. The phrase “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” has become their motto instead.
Their director of cricket, Mo Bobat, has been the driving force behind the change. Like Malolan Rangarajan, Dinesh Karthik, and Andy Flower, he prioritized impact over reputation. “Intent is everything, but form is temporary” is the mantra. Like gold, they kept tabs on striking rates and boundary percentages, and it paid off.
Taking over for Faf du Plessis, Phil Salt was hand-picked to open with Kohli, and he did it brilliantly. Salt has demonstrated that he is worth his weight in gold with a strike rate of 171.50 and multiple game-changing knocks.
Even Kohli has changed. With eight fifties in games that he won and a strike rate of more than 170 in his previous three innings, he has embraced aggression with a vengeance and is no longer only a traditional accumulator. Talk about taking the initiative.
However, RCB’s strength down the order has altered the game. Romario Shepherd arrived with a bang, hitting the second-fastest fifty in IPL history while batting at number seven. At the end, Tim David has been a bowler’s nightmare. Jitesh, too? He has converted skeptics to believers. Under duress, his game-winning knock cried out, “Cometh the hour, cometh the man.”
Leadership has also come as a surprise. Following an outstanding domestic campaign, Rajat Patidar was subtly prepared as a future captain. Despite being sidelined, his astute tactical advice was not overlooked. As interim captain, Jitesh was thrown into the deep end, but instead of merely floating, he swam laps. “Pressure makes diamonds,” as the adage goes.
His ascent wasn’t a coincidence. Training with Karthik during the off-season improved his 360-degree skills and provided him the self-assurance to take charge of the situation. Another well-considered purchase, Devdutt Padikkal, returned with a claim to make. Before an injury ended his season, he demonstrated his ability to be more aggressive by achieving a strike rate of 150.60. But he left his imprint.
RCB remained composed at the auction table. Bidding wars for ostentatious names like Pant or KL Rahul were avoided. They decided to build a balanced squad that could fire in all departments because it was “better safe than sorry.” In terms of wickets, Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar, and Yash Dayal have proven to be a formidable pace combination. Prior to his accident, Hazlewood was a strong contender for the Purple Cap.
Spin is now a secret weapon instead of a weak point. Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma have taken a huge step forward. Pandya is one of eight RCB players to win Player-of-the-Match, and his 15 wickets this season mark a career high. That’s dynamite waiting to go off, not simply depth.
Even though RCB still needs two more victories to capture their first championship, it is obvious that this club is different. They have exchanged confusion for understanding and dependence for fortitude. Additionally, RCB may be about to change their story if luck does favor the brave. Since they are daring to complete what they began, they are not merely dreaming this time.
