Giving up big names for big impact: RCB's reinvention pays off

For once, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) aren't just in the playoffs. They're playing Qualifier 1 - a result that looked difficult when Virat Kohli was dismissed on on Tuesday night with RCB still a long way from victory. The spectre of past failings loomed, but their stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma emphasised why the RCB of 2025 is different.

Jitesh finished unbeaten on 85 off 33 balls, his maiden IPL half-century. RCB won with eight balls to spare, underlining their batting depth. They now have a direct route to the final - and a second chance if they need it - which is significant because three of their previous four appearances in the playoffs since 2020 have ended in the Eliminator.

Their deepest scar, however, is from 2016 - the closest RCB have come to winning the IPL title in 17 years. Chasing 209 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB were 114 for 0 in the 11th over, but unravelled after Chris Gayle, Kohli and AB de Villiers fell and finished nine runs short.

This RCB, however, is no longer a team that lives and dies by its big three. They have displayed depth and versatility. They are the only team to have won all seven designated away games in a season in IPL history, and with the playoffs in Mullanpur and Ahmedabad, a familiar chant is growing a little louder. 'Ee sala…..?'

RCB's loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2024 Eliminator laid bare a sobering truth once the euphoria of the six-game winning streak that took them there had dissipated. Their game plan needed an overhaul.

Prior to the mega auction last November, their director of cricket Mo Bobat made it non-negotiable that the franchise would assess players not by "how they play" but "how we want them to play." His vision put role clarity over reputation. It was no longer about assembling the best players; it was about assembling the right ones.

In the months that followed, Bobat, head coach Andy Flower, batting mentor Dinesh Karthik, and head scout Malolan Rangarajan used data, visual evidence and their collective experience to arrive at what they felt was would be a successful method.

The objective was clear: build a batting line-up that had power and could impose themselves on bowling attacks. Like SRH and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had done so staggeringly in 2024. They deprioritised averages in favour of more impactful metrics like strike rate and boundary percentage, both in the powerplay and beyond.

An ultra-aggressive opener to partner Kohli was on top of their wish list. Faf du Plessis, 40, was no longer a long-term solution. Will Jacks, who scored a 41-ball century against Gujarat Titans in 2024, was a strong contender but RCB's management wanted Phil Salt.

According to Karthik, Salt had the ability to "convert a good over into a big over", and so they spent INR 11.25 crore to buy him. Salt currently has 331 runs at a strike rate of 171.50. He helped RCB take 30 runs off a Mitchell Starc over, took Pat Cummins and SRH apart with an innings of 62 off 32 balls, and set up RCB's chase against LSG on Tuesday with a 61-run stand with Kohli in 5.4 overs. They are the third-most prolific opening pair this season, with the highest run rate among the teams who have made the playoffs.

Kohli has constructed another 600-plus season for himself - his third in a row - but he too has bought into the aggressive philosophy. His last three innings have come at 170+ strike rates and all eight of his half-centuries have resulted in victories - an IPL record. He's been less of an anchor and more of a storm at the top.

RCB, however, have always had plenty of runs at the top. Their point of difference this season is what's happening down the order. Their ability to score, and score impactfully, is deeper than ever.

Jitesh's innings that sealed their place in the top two is only the latest example. Romario Shepherd blitzed the IPL's second-fastest fifty from No. 7. Tim David is the joint highest for sixes between overs 17-20 with a strike rate of 203 in that phase. The 26 balls he batted against Punjab Kings (PBKS) were the most he has faced in an IPL innings and he scored his maiden fifty in the league.

That friendly hug between Mumbai Indians (MI) and RCB at the auction table as they let go of Jacks, seemingly with an eye on David, has yielded desired results. They will hope David recovers from a hamstring strain to play some part in the playoffs.

Bobat and Flower sounded out Rajat Patidar for the RCB captaincy this season as early as February 2024. Those conversations intensified in June when they met the franchise's owners for a season review. When asked what he wanted to change if he became captain, Patidar spoke of the need for a gun pace attack. Flower and Bobat knew then that Patidar was the man.

They waited for more evidence. Patidar needed to captain his state team, an opportunity he firmed up by speaking to Madhya Pradesh head coach Chandrakant Pandit. Patidar led MP to the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 and was also the tournament's second-highest run-getter.

Impressed by his decision-making and leadership, which they observed on a scouting trip to India, Flower and Bobat also met Kohli, who gave their choice his full backing. For the first time, RCB had a captain who wasn't a superstar Indian or high-profile international.

On captaincy debut, Patidar helped RCB beat KKR at Eden Gardens for the first time since 2019. His half-century was central to their first victory against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai since 2008. He helped RCB beat MI at the Wankhede for the first time since 2015.

His decision-making has also had an impact. Against KKR, Patidar brought on Suyash Sharma against Andre Russell, perhaps not the most obvious choice, but it paid off. KKR finished with 172 when 190 had looked likely. With 34 to defend in three overs against CSK, Patidar once again backed Suyash and he conceded only six off the 18th over. He gave Yash Dayal the final over in that match despite him going for runs earlier and it paid off too.

"The best thing is that he's been calm," RCB fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar had said of Patidar's mindset. "That's what is needed, especially in this format. "Because when you lose a match, the easy thing is to panic. And that's what he has not done. We lost two matches [at home] but he's been the same whether we won or lost. With the bowling changes and everything, he's been superb."

Patidar, however, has not been able to field - and therefore captain - since the IPL resumed due to a hand injury. He shares a close rapport with Jitesh, who has stepped up to lead in two high-pressure games.

Jitesh's high-impact performance that took RCB into Qualifier 1 may have been the final piece RCB were looking for ahead of the playoffs. The game against LSG began with a mix-up at the toss - Jitesh handed over the batting-first XI when RCB were in fact bowling - which needed Rishabh Pant's sign off to fix. He had another bit of luck on 49, when he was caught off a no-ball, and went on to close out the game.

Jitesh's rise has been the result of hard work behind the scenes. In January and February, he attended training camps led by Karthik and Flower, where he worked on developing shots that he previously believed were beyond him - like the reverse ramp that he now plays consistently.

"It's been a great journey till now because in the off-season, I really worked hard with DK anna [Karthik]," Jitesh had said during the season. "I think whichever shot I am playing right now is the replica of what he used to play. He is trying to create a new player in me, because he believes that I can play 360 degrees. I am really enjoying myself in this new role."

Another player RCB invested heavily in was Devdutt Padikkal, whom they earmarked as their No. 3. After struggling for role clarity at RR and LSG, he returned to RCB with his IPL career at a loose end. The message to him was clear: he could no longer be an accumulator of runs. Until his season-ending injury, Padikkal had scored 247 runs at a strike rate of 150.60. His previous best strike-rate in a season was 130.50 in 2023.

"If you look at the top order in the last few seasons, we had to do bulk of the scoring," Kohli said after Padikkal scored a 35-ball 61 against PBKS. "But this time around, it feels like even if someone gets out, like in Chennai, guys can still keep carrying on with that momentum and keep counterattacking, like in Mumbai as well. It feels very balanced."

In hindsight, the restraint RCB showed during the auction, refusing to get caught up in bidding wars for Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer or KL Rahul, was important. Except for an audacious bid for Venkatesh Iyer that didn't go their way, they stuck to carefully considered spending brackets, choosing structure over stardom. This clarity helped assemble an effective pace attack in Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar and Dayal, whom they had retained.

Until his previous game at the end of April, Hazlewood had the second-best economy for a fast bowler in the powerplay among those who bowled at least five overs in that phase. He was also in the running for the Purple Cap until a shoulder niggle kept him out of their last three league games. His 18 wickets have come with an economy of 8.44 and are spread out across phases: seven in the powerplay, five in the middle overs, and six at the death.

"I think we've got highly skilled quicks in particular," Hazlewood had said during the season. "To bowl with someone like Bhuvi, who has been around for so long, he's so skillful at the start and end, it's great to learn from him. Just the variety we've got, we [him, Bhuvneshwar and Yash Dayal] are all a bit different."

RCB's biggest weakness from the outside was their spin attack, but Suyash has delivered impactful spells and Krunal Pandya has taken 15 wickets, his best returns in an IPL season. Pandya is among their eight different Player-of-the-Match award winners this season.

Two wins stand between them and their goal, but in a format as fickle as T20 cricket, as long as they stay true to their new ethos in upcoming challenges, it should be recognised that RCB's class of 2025 has been different to all that has come before.