RCB were adamant to get a good bowling attack, it was a huge first step in winning IPL: Andy Flower
'I know after day one of the auction, we were copping a bit of flak. People thought we were investing rather than spending. But that gave us an opportunity to extract real value on the second day,' the former Zimbabwe captain explained.
Flower highlighted some of the players the franchise secured during the auction, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last November.
'We had the funds available to pick up real quality. We brought in guys like Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Krunal (Pandya), Tim David, and Romario Shepherd on the second day — that proved very important,' he said.
He also praised young spinner Suyash Sharma, saying, 'Suyash has done really well for us — our little leggie. I thought he handled himself superbly throughout the season.'
Krunal Pandya's match-winning performance (4-0-17-2) also drew special praise from the coach.
'Krunal is a big-match player and a fierce competitor. That spell today was the defining difference between the sides.'
Flower added that RCB's experienced core played a key role in handling the pressure of the final.
'We spoke about it during our planning meetings yesterday and again in the huddle before the match — we had a good group of seasoned cricketers,' he said.
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