Follow UsIt is a popular refrain used by experts in the Indian Premier League (IPL) that trophies are won as much on the auction table as on the ground. Probably no other team knows and understands this as much as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) whose auction and team strategy had a very different look in the 2025 mega auction as they went after strengthening their bowling attack and avoided going after big picks.
Moreover, Rajat Patidar was announced as the skipper of the side despite many big names in the squad. It all pointed towards the fact that the team is focusing on pragmatism rather than popularity.
Speaking after the victory in the press conference, head coach Andy Flower highlighted the role of director of cricket Mo Bobat, whose philosophy influenced the key changes in RCB’s strategy for the season.
“I've worked with him a little bit with the England cricket board when we both worked for England," Flower told about Bobat, who began his career as a Sports and Exercise Science lecturer at Leicester College in England, then moved to coaching. Bobat later worked with the England and Wales Cricket Board for more than a decade in different roles, ranging from player identification lead to performance director, before he joined RCB in September 2023.
"For such a young man to have such insight and knowledge and drive, he's incredibly impressive, and I think his leadership over the last couple of year has been really impressive to be close to him while he's been leading like he does. He's got a great brain, he's a good strategist, and he's a good man, so I've got tons of respect for him,” Flower added, before explaining how Bobat’s auction philosophy defined RCB’s 2025 season.
"The auction is a huge first step that you've got to try and get as right as possible, and part of Mo's philosophy, right up front, was to distribute the value a little more equitably, rather than spending too much on big-name batsmen,” the former Zimbabwe wicketkeeper batter said.
“They are of course very fine players, but the importance of a good bowling attack was acknowledged absolutely adamantly right at the start, before the auction, and we worked towards that.
"I know after the first day of the auction, we were copping a little bit of flak. People thought we were investing our money rather than spending it, but it meant that there was some really good value to be had on the second day, and we had the money to then spend on that value, and we got guys like Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], Krunal [Pandya], Tim David, Romario Shepherd, all on that second day. So that was really important.
“I think Suyash Sharma's done really well for us, our little legspinner. I thought he's handled himself really well through the season. Krunal is a big-match player and a great competitor, and that spell today was the major difference between the teams,” Flower added, highlighting how RCB buying these value picks turned to be the game changer for them this season.