Andy Flower added yet another feather to his successful coaching career, winning the IPL trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, defeating Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 final.
Andy Flower’s Tactical Brilliance
Having taken over as RCB coach last season, Flower helped the team qualify for the play-offs. This year, with a fantastic auction to start with, he built the perfect playing XI to fulfill RCB’s lifelong dream. His tactical changes and sharp insights during timeouts helped RCB win several matches this season, ultimately leading them to the title.
Even in the final, it was evident that Flower and Dinesh Karthik had planned for Romario Shepherd to bowl two overs in the middle. That move paid off with the crucial wicket of PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer for 1(2), a key moment that turned the game in RCB’s favor as they held their nerves to secure their maiden title.
Operation Sindoor Break Boosted RCB’s Title Run
During the celebrations, Flower highlighted how the one-week suspension of the tournament due to Operation Sindoor turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It allowed Rajat Patidar and Josh Hazlewood time to recover and regroup ahead of the play-offs.
"Even this evening while we were celebrating, a couple of guys mentioned to me that the break gave Hazlewood time to recover, and crucially, it gave Rajat time to recover with his hand," Flower told reporters after RCB lifted their maiden IPL title.
Both Hazlewood and Patidar had suffered injuries a week before the suspension, causing them to miss a few matches. Hazlewood, RCB’s top wicket-taker this season, claimed 22 wickets in 12 matches at an average of 17.55 and played a key role in their title-winning campaign.
Also Read: Know the real story behind RCB's maiden IPL trophy win & Josh Hazlewood connection
Flower was full of praise for Rajat Patidar—not just for his batting, but also for his captaincy and leadership.
"I think one of the most impressive things about what Rajat has done this year is that, as an inexperienced captain, he hasn't let it affect him. I don't think it has impacted his batting at all," said Flower. "I've watched him closely as a character, and he is still the same lovely, gentle, polite Rajat Patidar that we knew last year. He hasn't changed at all in that regard."
Andy Flower’s impressive resume keeps growing with trophy-winning achievements around the world, including a major one, clinching the IPL 2025 title in his second year coaching Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
