- Virat Kohli’s batting evolution powers RCB’s title push
- Rajat Patidar’s calm leadership transforms Bengaluru culture
- Smart auction strategy gives RCB unmatched squad depth
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are no longer carrying the burden of history. They are chasing something bigger.
Less than a year after finally ending their long wait for an IPL title, RCB have returned as one of the competition’s most complete sides and now stand within touching distance of another final. The transformation has not simply been about winning matches. It has been about changing the mindset that once held the franchise back.
Speaking at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit last week, RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat revealed how the franchise deliberately avoided treating last season’s triumph as the finish line. Instead the message inside the camp was clear: keep moving forward and keep hunting for more success.
Only two teams in IPL history have successfully defended a title, Chennai Super Kings in 2011 and Mumbai Indians in 2020. RCB entered this campaign determined to join that exclusive company.
How RCB changed their mentality
The confidence driving their challenge has been building since the second half of IPL 2024 when Bobat and head coach Andy Flower first began shaping the squad in their image.
Their early days together were anything but smooth. RCB won just one of their opening eight matches that season and serious doubts emerged around the squad and leadership structure. Yet inside the dressing room there remained a belief that the pieces were in place and that patience would eventually bring rewards.
RCB stormed into the playoffs with six consecutive victories and although their campaign ended in the Eliminator they finally discovered a style and identity that suited them.
Introducing the mindset shift that reshaped the franchise, Bobat explained at the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit:
“Because it was such a long wait for us to win that first title, I didn’t want it to feel like we had climbed our Everest. I want us to feel like we’re not clinging on to anything. We wanted to just keep climbing, keep hunting.”
Bobat also reflected on how the mentality around the squad changed during that difficult first season together.
“One of the first things that struck me when I got involved with RCB was a phrase used about the England football team, the shirt weighs heavy. One of the key tasks was really unburdening them as much as you can, taking that weight off them.
“Instead of thinking, ‘when are we going to win this?’, the narrative changed to: ‘why not us?’ My obsession has just been around how we want to play our cricket. If you can immerse yourself in that, you trust success will become inevitable.”
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Virat Kohli’s evolution changed everything
A defining moment came in a high scoring defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad. After conceding 287 runs RCB responded with 262 and realised they needed to fully embrace aggressive batting.
Virat Kohli became central to that shift.
Traditionally viewed as the side’s anchor, Kohli reinvented his approach during the second half of the season. His strike rate jumped from 141 in RCB’s first six matches of IPL 2024 to 166 across the remainder of the campaign.
That evolution has continued this year. Kohli has scored 557 runs at a strike rate close to 164, his fastest scoring IPL season to date.
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu praised Kohli’s impact while speaking during tournament coverage.
“Kohli is playing well above par in every condition.”
The ripple effect has spread throughout the squad. Devdutt Padikkal has emerged as one of the biggest success stories after reviving his T20 career in Bengaluru colours.
When RCB signed him for INR 2 crore at the mega auction, Padikkal was coming off a disappointing spell with Lucknow Super Giants where he scored just 38 runs in seven innings. Now he has produced the most explosive IPL season of his career with 433 runs at a strike rate nearing 172.
Explaining his transformation during the season, Padikkal said:
“Because it’s such a major shift, it’s very easy to accept maybe that’s not your game. But the conversations were mainly about them giving me the belief that I’m capable of doing that. I’m not really trying to focus on strike rate. It’s about making sure I have that intent from ball one.”
Rajat Patidar’s calm leadership has transformed RCB
RCB’s batting unit has also thrived around the aggressive styles of Phil Salt and captain Rajat Patidar.
Patidar’s leadership style has particularly impressed the management. Unlike some captains who prefer involvement in every detail, he operates with calm trust and clarity.
Speaking about his skipper at the summit, Bobat said:
“Rajat’s quite a unique character. I don’t know anyone quite like him. He wants to have an input on the team that takes the field and then he thinks that when he crosses the line, that’s when his job starts.”
That support network around Patidar has become increasingly important. Jitesh Sharma has grown into a valuable deputy while Krunal Pandya continues to influence matches with both bat and ball.
One of the defining moments of RCB’s season came when Krunal battled cramps and exhaustion to score a match winning 73 against Mumbai Indians in Raipur.
Meanwhile Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood have formed one of the most disciplined new ball pairings in the tournament.
Also read: Top 3 IPL playoff matches in history
RCB’s ruthless reinvention has reshaped the squad
RCB’s resurgence can also be traced back to a major philosophical shift at the auction table.
While franchises such as Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad spent heavily retaining established stars before the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB opted for flexibility. Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar were retained for a combined INR 32 crore while Yash Dayal was the third retained player.
That allowed RCB to strengthen multiple areas of the squad. Hazlewood arrived for INR 12.50 crore, Phil Salt for INR 11.50 crore, Jitesh Sharma for INR 11 crore and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for INR 10.75 crore.
The result has been a far deeper and more balanced squad than previous RCB teams.
Even difficult moments have been handled with composure. Injuries and unavailable players forced RCB to lean on replacements like Jacob Duffy and Rasikh Salam who stepped in effectively thanks to clear planning and strong communication from the coaching staff.
Why RCB are thriving home and away
RCB have also rewritten another long held IPL belief, that success depends on dominating at home.
Last season they excelled away from Bengaluru and this year they adapted brilliantly to unusual circumstances including relocated home matches in Raipur.
Explaining the team’s adaptability, Bobat said at the summit:
“A lot of people said if you’re not dominant at home, you won’t win the IPL. Part of me thought, well, let’s just win all our away games then.”
He later added:
“You’ve got to be humble enough to know when you’re not doing well. We weren’t playing well enough at home initially. But because we were honest in how we reviewed things, we worked out how we wanted to bowl here, what type of bowlers succeed here and how we wanted to bat. The boys have really committed to those learnings.”
The results have followed. RCB have won six of their seven home games this season including the two staged in Raipur while continuing to thrive in unfamiliar conditions across the country.
For years RCB were defined by expectation heartbreak and near misses. Today they appear calmer smarter and far more resilient.
The long wait for a title may finally be over but inside the dressing room the feeling is unmistakable. The hunger has only grown stronger.
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