Royal Challengers Bengaluru reaching consecutive IPL finals has reinforced that last season’s title triumph was far more than a one-off success. The defending champions now look determined to build a lasting legacy, and their performances this season suggest they are moving firmly in that direction. Their commanding playoff victory over Gujarat Titans reflected the fearless and aggressive brand of cricket they have consistently embraced throughout the campaign.
What has stood out most is their shift away from dependence on individual brilliance. RCB have backed a collective approach, with contributions coming from different players in different situations, which has added greater balance and stability to the side. While Virat Kohli continues to remain the face of the franchise, this is very much a team shaped under Rajat Patidar’s leadership, carrying a stronger identity built around unity, intent, and consistent execution on the field.
Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody believes RCB have finally moved beyond the superstar-driven identity once built around Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle, saying the franchise is now recognised more for its collective strength and shared success than dependence on a few marquee players.
"RCBs' identity was their superstars. Simple as that. So you didn't recognise them as a team, you recognised them as AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle. That was their identity. So everyone associated them with incredible players, but no one sort of recognised them as a team. Now, they're recognised as a team. Yes, Kohli is still there, and he's still performing at an amazing level, but there are so many other parts to it. And the interesting thing with that, what comes with that is shared success. The player of the match is shared. You know, it's not one person all the time. Everyone plays a role, and everyone recognises that and embraces that," Moody said on ESPNCricinfo.
{{/usCountry}}"RCBs' identity was their superstars. Simple as that. So you didn't recognise them as a team, you recognised them as AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle. That was their identity. So everyone associated them with incredible players, but no one sort of recognised them as a team. Now, they're recognised as a team. Yes, Kohli is still there, and he's still performing at an amazing level, but there are so many other parts to it. And the interesting thing with that, what comes with that is shared success. The player of the match is shared. You know, it's not one person all the time. Everyone plays a role, and everyone recognises that and embraces that," Moody said on ESPNCricinfo.
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"No team close to RCB"
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu echoed similar views while reflecting on Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s transformation over the years, saying the franchise was once heavily dependent on individual brilliance from stars, but has now evolved into a far stronger and more complete team unit.
“When we won against RCB, it was winning against RCB; when we lost, we lost to AB de Villiers, we lost to Virat Kohli, or we lost to Chris Gale. We never lost to RCB. It's only when these guys performed that they could beat a team like CSK or MI. But now I don't see any team come close to how good these guys are." Rayudu added.