Mo Bobat, the director of cricket at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, summed up last year\u2019s emotional title celebration with a simple instruction: \u201cLet\u2019s be like the hunters.\u201d The message was meant to cut through the weight of finally breaking through\u2014and, with RCB now on the brink of another IPL final, Bobat says the words have only grown louder with time.<\/p>\n
Eleven months on, RCB are again close to a championship decider, and Bobat has had a chance to revisit the meaning behind that line from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru Labs Innovation Summit last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it was such a long wait for us to win that first title, I didn\u2019t want it to feel like we had climbed our Everest,\u201d Bobat said. \u201cI want us to feel like we\u2019re not clinging on to anything. We wanted to just keep climbing, keep hunting.\u201d<\/p>\n
As RCB regrouped for the next phase, Bobat also posed a challenge to the group: \u201cWhy can\u2019t we be the third team to do it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Only two franchises in IPL history have managed to defend their crown\u2014Chennai Super Kings in 2010-11 and Mumbai Indians in 2019-20\u2014and Bobat\u2019s point was clear: RCB can chase that same standard rather than treating back-to-back dreams as a fairytale.<\/p>\n
The confidence behind RCB\u2019s push for consecutive titles did not arrive instantly. It traces back to the back half of IPL 2024, when Bobat and Andy Flower began working together for the first time as a pair.<\/p>\n
Flower joined with an outstanding record in T20 coaching and the experience to reshape a side quickly. He had received better offers elsewhere, but the chance to help RCB achieve something they had never managed drew him in. Yet the early signs were far from smooth: eight games into that first joint season, RCB sat at the bottom of the table with just one win from their first eight matches.<\/p>\n
RCB\u2019s leadership later described that stretch as a moment when doubt became unavoidable. CEO Rajesh Menon recalled the internal questions: \u201cThere were questions asked\u2014do we have the right team, do we have the right staff. I said the culture is good. The players are good. It\u2019s just a matter of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
That patience turned into action. RCB then won six matches in a row to reach the playoffs, and while their campaign ended in the Eliminator, the side left that season with a clearer identity than the one they carried at the start.<\/p>\n
Bobat pointed to a cultural shift as the foundation. \u201cOne of the first things that struck me when I got involved with RCB was a phrase used about the England football team\u2014the shirt weighs heavy,\u201d he explained. \u201cOne of the key tasks was really unburdening them as much as you can, taking that weight off them.<\/p>\n
\u201cInstead of thinking, \u2018when are we going to win this?\u2019, the narrative changed to: \u2018why not us?\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
****<\/p>\n
RCB\u2019s mid-season transformation in IPL 2024 began after a brutal defeat. After being hammered for 287 by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), they responded by posting 262, and Bobat and Flower immediately recognised a new batting direction.<\/p>\n
It was a plan that required buy-in from their senior icon, and Virat Kohli\u2019s acceptance was not seen as difficult once the intent was clear.<\/p>\n
During the opening half of IPL 2024, Kohli still operated largely as a traditional anchor. From the SRH game onwards, he deliberately swapped comfort for greater impact, lifting his strike rate from 141 across RCB\u2019s first six matches to 166 during the remainder of the tournament\u2014an indicator of the batting identity RCB would come to rely on.<\/p>\n
Last season, Kohli finished with 657 runs at a strike rate just under 150. This year, he has amassed 557 runs at close to 164, which stands as his best strike rate across an IPL season. Just as important, RCB have won each of the seven matches in which Kohli has batted beyond the powerplay.<\/p>\n
Kohli\u2019s reinvention spread through the batting group, and Devdutt Padikkal has become one of the clearest expressions of that shift\u2014especially in the No. 3 position.<\/p>\n
At the mega auction in November 2024, RCB brought Padikkal back. He was coming off a difficult spell with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he managed 38 runs in seven innings, and he admitted he was unsure whether franchises still viewed him as a serious T20 option.<\/p>\n
At that time, many viewed him as a backup. RCB had chased Venkatesh Iyer up to INR 23 crore, only for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to pip them for his signature. In hindsight, missing out on that deal helped shape the eventual squad RCB have today.<\/p>\n
For roughly the same amount they had prepared to spend on one player, RCB instead secured Josh Hazlewood (INR 12.50 crore), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (INR 10.75 crore) and Padikkal (INR 2 crore). Those additions have since become central to their plans.<\/p>\n
Before the 2025 season, RCB saw Padikkal as a left-hand batter who could strike from the start. \u201cThat has been the role for the last two years,\u201d he said. \u201cI have to continue the momentum in the powerplay. You cannot afford to slow down after a wicket.\u201d<\/p>\n
After striking at only 123 across his IPL career before 2025, Padikkal leaned into a far more aggressive role last season, scoring at over 150 before injury ended his campaign. This year, he made another step forward: he has scored 433 runs at a strike rate touching 172\u2014his most influential IPL season yet.<\/p>\n
Padikkal credited the team management\u2019s belief and the off-season groundwork with Dinesh Karthik, their batting mentor, for accelerating his growth as a T20 batter. \u201cBecause it\u2019s such a major shift, it\u2019s very easy to accept maybe that\u2019s not your game,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the conversations were mainly about them giving me the belief that I\u2019m capable of doing that. I\u2019m not really trying to focus on strike rate. It\u2019s about making sure I have that intent from ball one.\u201d<\/p>\n
RCB\u2019s other top-order batters, Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar, already held similar task definitions. Salt had delivered strongly during KKR\u2019s title run in 2024, and Patidar was earmarked as the spin-destroyer.<\/p>\n
Still, there was a question around Patidar: could he keep performing exactly how RCB needed without the burden of leadership weighing on him? IPL 2025 offered some answers, but this season has confirmed the direction. He has nearly 400 runs this season at a strike rate of 184.<\/p>\n
Bobat contrasted Patidar\u2019s approach with the habits of his predecessor, Faf du Plessis, who had been deeply involved in almost every aspect\u2014from auction planning to the team\u2019s culture. Patidar, in comparison, leads differently.<\/p>\n
\u201cRajat\u2019s quite a unique character,\u201d Bobat said. \u201cI don\u2019t know anyone quite like him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bobat described Patidar as more trusting and less hands-on away from the field. Instead of trying to manage everything, he prefers to focus almost entirely on cricket\u2014tactics, bowling changes and in-game decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants to have an input on the team that takes the field,\u201d Bobat said, \u201cand then he thinks that when he crosses the line, that\u2019s when his job starts.\u201d<\/p>\n
That trust has become a defining feature of RCB\u2019s current structure: Patidar backs the management to build the environment around him, and the management backs Patidar to control the contest once the match begins.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a stronger sense [now] of how he wants the team to play,\u201d Bobat said. \u201cHe is certainly becoming an even better decision-maker out in the middle when it comes to tactics and bowling changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
RCB have also strengthened their backing cast around Patidar. Jitesh Sharma has emerged as a reliable sounding board and deputy, while Krunal Pandya has contributed across phases with both bat and ball.<\/p>\n
The most memorable impact came through Krunal\u2019s match-winning 73 in this season, where he battled cramps and exhaustion against MI in Raipur.<\/p>\n
Krunal was one of RCB\u2019s standout match-winners in 2025, and the version seen in 2026 represents a further upgrade, shaped by his sharper use of variations, bouncers and effective work across multiple phases.<\/p>\n
Since the start of IPL 2025, no left-arm finger spinner has bowled as many deliveries to left-hand batters as Krunal has\u2014or taken more wickets against them. Alongside that workload, his economy has stayed below 10. His victims include Priyansh Arya, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shimron Hetmyer.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar Kumar\u2014who had once hurt RCB in the 2016 final while playing for SRH\u2014is now their bowling leader. His performances this season have even revived discussion of an India return at the age of 36.<\/p>\n
****<\/p>\n
Bobat said much of this turnaround is rooted in culture.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen an organisation hasn\u2019t achieved its main goal for 17 years, you have to ask why,\u201d he noted. \u201cAnd you have to have the humility to look at your own failings.<\/p>\n
\u201cRCB had a history of always having a small number of icon players, and the performance of the team was kind of contingent on those few players doing well. We wanted to have a more even distribution of talent, even distribution of experience, to give ourselves a better chance of having a championship-winning team.\u201d<\/p>\n
This thinking was clearly reflected in how RCB approached auctions.<\/p>\n
While teams such as MI, CSK and SRH locked away close to INR 75 crore by retaining established match-winners ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, RCB opted for a partial reset. They retained only two match-winners\u2014Kohli and Patidar\u2014for a combined INR 32 crore (Yash Dayal was the third retained player), giving them flexibility that others did not have.<\/p>\n
Their four biggest signings\u2014Josh Hazlewood (INR 12.50 crore), Salt (INR 11.50 crore), Jitesh (INR 11 crore) and Bhuvneshwar (INR 10.75 crore)\u2014totalled INR 45.75 crore. Even after that, RCB still had room to add proven performers such as Krunal, Tim David and Padikkal.<\/p>\n
In earlier cycles, RCB often looked top-heavy, with a few star names supported by back-ups who carried less experience. In 2025 and with IPL 2026 also in mind, they focused on spreading proven quality across the playing group. They also eventually secured Venkatesh as a back-up batter for INR 7 crore\u2014slightly less than what they were willing to spend on him back in 2025.<\/p>\n
Venkatesh spent substantial parts of IPL 2026 outside the XI because RCB did not disrupt a settled combination. He first appeared as an impact player twice early in the season, but he had to wait until the 13th match to make his heavier contribution.<\/p>\n
When Patidar was sidelined with injury, Venkatesh took the moment and produced an unbeaten 73 off 40 balls in RCB\u2019s 23-run win over Punjab Kings (PBKS).<\/p>\n
Then, in the final league fixture, Venkatesh moved into the top order after Jacob Bethell was injured, scoring 44 off 19 balls in RCB\u2019s chase of 256. RCB did not even go for the full chase target, instead prioritising net run-rate to finish at the summit of the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cRCB is the champion side,\u201d Venkatesh said. \u201cWe\u2019re defending champions. So to tinker with a combination that has won you a championship is not always the smartest move. As someone who places the team above everything else, it\u2019s my duty to adhere to the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even while waiting for opportunities, Venkatesh said the management ensured transparency around what was expected and what his role would be. \u201cMo, Andy and DK have been amazing when it comes to conversations about what my role in the team is. They\u2019ve given me absolute clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n
That clarity, Bobat suggested, helps RCB absorb late adjustments when circumstances demand it.<\/p>\n
One example was RCB withdrawing Dayal from this season due to legal issues. Dayal had been a key part of RCB\u2019s three-pronged pace attack during their title triumph, but with his contract retained, RCB effectively operated with fewer resources than usual.<\/p>\n
His absence\u2014combined with Hazlewood missing the early games\u2014could have posed difficulties. Instead, RCB\u2019s auction pick Jacob Duffy stepped in for Hazlewood and, in his debut match, claimed 3 for 22 against SRH to be named Player of the Match.<\/p>\n
Duffy has not featured in every game since Hazlewood\u2019s arrival, but his use has been tactical. A case in point was the league match in Dharamsala against PBKS, where pace and a hit-the-deck approach have historically carried more weight than spin.<\/p>\n
In a similar manner, Rasikh Salam\u2014previously identified as Dayal\u2019s back-up last year\u2014has played 10 matches this season and already surpassed Dayal\u2019s wicket tally from the previous year. RCB invested in Salam\u2019s training camps, and Krunal even supported a move for him from Jammu & Kashmir to Baroda to open up more opportunities.<\/p>\n
Flexibility has not only shown up in personnel and tactics. Over two seasons, RCB also had to challenge one of the oldest assumptions in IPL: that sustained success is impossible without dominating at home.<\/p>\n
Last season, RCB won just two matches at home but were exceptional on the road, winning nine times away from Bengaluru. This year brought a different problem\u2014scheduling changes reduced the number of league games at the Chinnaswamy to five, with two fixtures labelled \u201chome\u201d moved to Raipur, a venue that had not hosted IPL action since 2015.<\/p>\n
Before the meeting with MI, RCB travelled directly from a flight, while MI had already trained twice in Raipur. RCB went as far as studying scorecards from the Chhattisgarh Premier League to understand how surfaces behave.<\/p>\n
Bobat admitted that when he first joined RCB, he viewed the Chinnaswamy as merely a high-scoring ground where teams \u201cfill their boots.\u201d It took time to realise that home advantage had often escaped RCB.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people said if you\u2019re not dominant at home, you won\u2019t win the IPL,\u201d he said. \u201cPart of me thought, well, let\u2019s just win all our away games then.\u201d<\/p>\n
In many ways, that became the message. RCB stopped obsessing over where the wins were coming from and instead focused on getting on top of conditions quickly, adapting better, and carrying a squad capable of winning in different ways.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be humble enough to know when you\u2019re not doing well,\u201d Bobat said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe results have followed. RCB have won six of their seven home games this season\u2014including the two in Raipur\u2014while continuing to adapt in unfamiliar surroundings like Dharamsala, with the Himalayas towering in the distance and Mt Everest geographically closer than it had been in Bengaluru.\u201d<\/p>\n
When teams spend a generation waiting for a title, they often treat the first taste of glory as the finish line. Almost a year later, the hunters are clearly still hungry for more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mo Bobat, the director of cricket at Royal Challengers Bengaluru, summed up last year\u2019s emotional title celebration with a simple instruction: \u201cLet\u2019s be like the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12172,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"RCB Director Mo Bobat: Keep Climbing for IPL Final Hunt","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"RCB director Mo Bobat fires up the squad with \u201ckeep climbing\u201d as Bengaluru chase another IPL final, reigniting the hunter mindset for glory.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n