Coach Flower heaps praise on RCB skipper Patidar
Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower hailed captain Rajat Patidar for excelling in a tricky job.
'One of the most impressive things about Rajat is that he has not been affected by captaincy. He is still the lovely, gentle, polite Rajat Patidar that we knew last year. He has not changed at all in that regard,' Flower said in the press conference after RCB emerged as the IPL 2025 champion.
'I cast my mind back to how poorly I captained when I was his age. I've got tremendous respect for how he handled himself with all that scrutiny, and captaining some big players.
'You cannot underestimate the calmness that he showed in leading some really big players, in a really big franchise. Rajat made good decisions in the middle under pressure. I have got tons of respect for him. I am really proud of the way that he carried himself,' Flower said.
Flower explained that RCB's auction strategy was sound, despite the initial criticism. 'We copped some flak after the first day of the auction. People thought that we were investing our money rather than spending it.
'But it meant that there was some really good value to be had on the second day. We got guys like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal (Pandya), Tim David and Romario Shepherd all on that second day. So that was really important,' Flower said.
This isn't just celebrations, it's tears, hugs and screams.
This is what belief finally looks like. ❤️
pic.twitter.com/5Fh01Wep0U — Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) June 3, 2025
Phil Salt's splendid catch to dismiss Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya was a turning point in the final, Flower said.
'That was an outstanding catch, wasn't it? It was a perfect example of someone holding his nerve under pressure. He only got back from England at 3 o'clock this morning (Salt had made a quick visit to England to witness the birth of his child). The catch was a turning point,' Flower said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
RCB fully responsible for stampede, K'taka govt tells high court
The Karnataka government on Wednesday told the High Court that IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) bore full responsibility for the deadly stampede outside Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which left 11 people dead and several others injured. Opposing the bail plea of RCB's head of marketing, Nikhil Sosale, who was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) on June 6, the state submitted that RCB's last-minute social media posts, including announcements about free passes and open invitations to the team's victory celebration, triggered the massive and unmanageable crowd buildup. The submissions were made before Justice SR Krishna Kumar, who has reserved orders on Sosale's bail application and is expected to pronounce the verdict on June 12. Terming the entire celebration 'illegal,' the government argued that RCB neither sought the requisite permissions nor implemented necessary safety measures to manage an event that ultimately drew lakhs of people. 'There was no permission taken. What they submitted was an intimation—not a formal request seeking approval,' Advocate General (AG) Shashi Kiran Shetty told the court. 'They tweeted to the world, inviting lakhs of fans without specifying who could enter or what protocols applied. The entire event violated legal norms,' he added. The AG cited multiple posts made from RCB's official handle on X (formerly Twitter) between 11:30 pm on June 3 and 8:55 am on June 4. These posts announced a victory parade from Vidhana Soudha to the stadium but offered no details on ticketing, crowd control, or security arrangements. When Justice Kumar asked whether the state's position was that RCB was 'completely responsible,' the AG replied: 'Yes. They have tried to shift the blame to the State, but the entire responsibility lies with them. The event was illegal under the Karnataka Police Act and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with disobedience to lawful orders. This has criminal consequences.' Defending Sosale, senior advocate Sandesh Chouta argued that the marketing head was being unfairly targeted. 'He is merely an employee, not a decision-maker. He cannot be held vicariously liable for actions taken by the company,' Chouta told the court. Chouta also pointed out that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had publicly invited people to the event, but the AG refuted this claim. When the bench sought clarity on Sosale's personal responsibility, Justice Kumar observed: 'He is not even a director; just a marketing official. You cannot conflate the company with the individual. Show us a document where it's his responsibility to seek permission.' In response, the AG cited a tri-partite agreement between RCB, BCCI and KSCA to underline RCB's obligations but admitted that the document did not directly implicate Sosale. However, Shetty maintained: 'We have identified the right person for arrest based on the investigation so far.' Chouta further argued that the arrest was procedurally flawed, pointing out that it took place on June 6, even though the investigation had been officially transferred to the CID on June 5. The AG, however, countered that local police were well within their rights to act until the handover was formally completed and insisted the arrest was lawful. Sosale has also challenged the legality of his arrest, alleging that it was carried out at the behest of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah -- an act he contends exceeds the CM's constitutional authority in criminal investigations.
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- India Gazette
BCCI likely to hold Apex Council meeting on June 14; IPL victory celebrations norms on agenda
ANI 12 Jun 2025, 01:27 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): In the wake of the tragic stampede in Bengaluru earlier this month, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to hold an apex council meeting on June 14 in order to discuss the new norms for the celebrations for the teams following their title triumph in their respective competition. The incident occurred when thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations. 'BCCI will call an apex council meeting on June 14 to discuss the IPL celebration and formulate new norms. The meeting could be held virtually,' a BCCI Source told ANI. Eleven people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy stadium as a huge crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of RCB for winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Wednesday. The Karnataka Police have also filed an FIR against the Karnataka Cricket Board Administrative Committee, RCB, among others, in connection with the stampede incident. CM Siddaramaiah also expressed his deep sorrow over the incident. 'A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured. Eleven people died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident.' RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (ANI)
India Today
5 hours ago
- India Today
Sad Virat Kohli retired like this, I'd have made him Test captain: Ravi Shastri
Former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed his disappointment over the manner in which Virat Kohli retired, offering a candid assessment of how events unfolded following the tour of Australia. Shastri stressed that better communication was needed among the stakeholders of Indian cricket, adding he would have had no hesitation in appointing Kohli as Test captain ahead of the England Kohli retired from Test cricket in May, taking many by surprise. The former captain announced his decision in an emotional social media post midway through the IPL 2025 when you go, that's when people will realise how big a player he was. I feel sad that he is gone, the way he's gone. I think it could have been handled better. There should have been more communication. If I had anything to do with it, I would have made him captain straight away after Australia,' Ravi Shastri told Sony Sports. Kohli's decision came just days after Rohit Sharma called time on his own Test career. While Rohit's retirement was somewhat expected, Kohli stepping away from the format he loved most caught many off guard." , ..." - Ravi ShastriWatch 'Bharat Tum Chale Chalo, Kahani 21-22 ki' from 15th June, only on Sony LIV & Sony Sports Network TV channels Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) June 11, 2025Sources told India Today that Kohli had informed the BCCI and selectors of his decision in May, and that a key board member had attempted to convince him to stay on for the England Kohli proceeded with his retirement, sharing a heartfelt farewell message in which he explained his reasons for leaving behind the format that 'tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I'll carry for life'.Earlier in May, Ravi Shastri also confirmed that Kohli had spoken to him before taking the major decision regarding his Test career. Kohli finished his red-ball journey with 9,230 runs from 130 will now be without three of their biggest match-winners—Kohli, Rohit, and R Ashwin—for the upcoming tour of England, starting 20 June. The series also marks the beginning of India's new World Test Championship Gill will lead the side, with Rishabh Pant named vice-captain for the five-Test Kohli will continue to play one-day internationals for India. He retired from T20I cricket after winning the World Cup in 2024. Kohli ended his 18-year-long wait for an IPL trophy earlier this month when RCB defeated Punjab Kings in the final to win the elusive crown. You May Also Like
