Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has made a significant change in their coaching staff ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. The franchise announced the appointment of Andy Flower as their new head coach, bidding farewell to the outgoing coaching duo, Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar.
The official announcement was made on RCB’s Twitter handle, where they expressed their excitement about welcoming Flower on board. The decision to bring in the experienced coach came after the contracts of Hesson, the director of cricket operations, and Bangar, the head coach, were up for renewal in September. The franchise opted to part ways with the duo, opening the door for a fresh coaching approach.
Rajesh Menon, the vice-president, and head of RCB met Flower in London for discussions before finalizing the appointment. Flower’s rich coaching experience in T20 leagues worldwide, including the IPL, played a crucial role in RCB’s decision to bring him in as the new head coach.
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“We are beyond thrilled to welcome ICC Hall of Famer and T20 World Cup-winning coach Andy Flower as the Head Coach of RCB Men’s team. Andy’s experience of coaching IPL & T20 teams around the world, and leading his teams to titles at the PSL, ILT20, The Hundred, and Abu Dhabi T10 will help in developing a championship-winning mindset and take RCB’s #PlayBold philosophy forward,” stated RCB in their Twitter post.
We are beyond thrilled to welcome 𝗜𝗖𝗖 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿 and 𝗧𝟮𝟬 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 winning coach 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 as the 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 of RCB Men’s team. 🤩🙌
Andy’s experience of coaching IPL & T20 teams around the world, and leading his teams to titles… pic.twitter.com/WsMYGCkcYT
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) August 4, 2023
“I’m particularly excited to be reunited with Faf”: Andy Flower on RCB skipper Faf du Plessis
Notably, Flower has previously worked with IPL teams like Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. In his reaction to the new role, the former Zimbabwean batter expressed enthusiasm about working with RCB players, particularly with their captain Faf du Plessis.
“I’m particularly excited to be reunited with Faf. We have worked very well together in the past, and I look forward to forging our partnership and relationship into something bigger and better. We have an exciting roster of players to work with, and I recognize and will relish both the amazing opportunity with RCB but also the responsibility that comes with the role. It is a great challenge, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Flower in an official statement.
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