Andy Flower as head coach – Answer to RCB’s title drought?
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have opted to take a different path in the Indian Premier League. Parting ways with their long-time head coach Mike Hesson, they onboarded Andy Flower. The former Zimbabwean cricketer has become a successful coach and his signing with RCB is an interesting development. The franchise, despite its tremendous popularity, is yet to win an IPL trophy. Here’s why Flower’s signing improves their chances of winning the silverware.
A successful coaching career
The first success that Andy Flower pouched as the team director of the England men’s team was historic. England won their first-ever ICC event in the 2010 T20 World Cup under Flower’s direction. England soon rose to be the number one team in all formats. Flower was awarded the 2011 Coach of the Year in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.
In recent years, the Zimbabwean has channelled his energies into franchise cricket around the world. In the Pakistan Super League, he helped Multan Sultan win the title in 2021 and claim the runners-up position in the last two seasons. As the head coach of St Lucia Zouks, he led his Caribbean Premier League side to their first-ever final in 2021. Flower has also won trophies in the ILT20, T10 and The Hundred.
Flower is no stranger to the IPL. After spending time with Kings Punjab in IPL 2020 and 2021, he bagged the head coach role of Lucknow Super Giants. This new team managed to confirm their playoff spot in both of their first two seasons. RCB team management will expect similar results for their team from their newest recruit.
RCB’s struggles
The perennial discussion point that keeps plaguing the Bangalore franchise is its empty trophy cabinet. Despite having world-beating champions batters in their line-ups, they have never been able to go the distance. In IPL 2023, injuries were their biggest cause of concern as they missed out on their key players. Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell were the leading contributors but others failed to show up. With a fresh face at the helm, RCB will hope to bloom to their full potential.
