RCB appoints Mike Hesson and Simon Katich as coaching staff

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have announced a fresh pair of coaches for the upcoming IPL. New Zealand’s Mike Hesson and former Australian opener Simon Katich will replace Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra. The decision comes after the team finished with another disappointing performance in the IPL 2019. The star-studded side is yet to lift an IPL trophy.

Official statement

RCB Chairman Sanjeev Churiwala confirmed the development. The official release revealed, “RCB’s purpose is to be the most trusted, respected and best performing T20 Franchise and hence our constant endeavour is to create a culture of excellence and high performance for every member of the team.”

To deliver this ambition we are very happy to announce the appointment of Mike Hesson and Simon Katich. We believe that Mike’s extensive experience in building strong teams along with Simon’s powerful cricket experience will help us create a winning culture.”

As per the release, Katich will be the head coach of the IPL team while Hesson shall serve as the director of cricket operations. RCB intends to move to a single coach model. The franchise also thanked the previous staff for their services.

“We would like to thank Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra for their contribution over the past two seasons. They leave us with a legacy of having given several young players the confidence to show their ability on the highest stage. Everyone at Royal Challengers Bangalore wishes them all the best in the future,” said RCB Chairman.

RCB finished at the last position in the IPL 2019 points table. The team lost their first six matches and also missed out on qualifying for the playoffs. The coaching staff came under enormous scrutiny for their tactical blunders in team management and strategy.

Hesson was the head coach of Kings XI Punjab last season but failed to produce desired results. Katich, on the other hand, has been an assistant coach for Kolkata Knight Riders.