'I think our guys have fought brilliantly over the last 10 weeks' - RCB head coach Andy Flower commends team for fightback

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s dream of lifting the first IPL (Indian Premier League) title was once again crushed after the side bowed out of the tournament after they lost the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals. Both sides locked horns at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the Eliminator of the tournament, with Royals emerging victorious.

It is worth noting that RCB made it to the playoffs after some struggles. The side won only one of their first eight matches in the group stages and looked to be the first team to be eliminated from the tournament. However, the side won their next six consecutive games and managed to maintain a better net run rate than Chennai Super Kings to finish the group stage in fourth place. 

Reaching the playoffs, RCB’s dreams were crushed by Rajasthan Royals, as the Sanju Samson-led side defeated them by four wickets and reached Qualifier 2. After the game, RCB’s head coach, Andy Flower, came forward to talk about how brilliantly the side had fought throughout their campaign. 

"I think our guys have fought brilliantly over the last 10 weeks to come back from our first half of the tournament. It was a great effort and I certainly would pay tribute to Faf du Plessis for his captaincy and Faf and Virat for the way they've led from the front as role models and professional sports people. But also the way they've played,” Andy Flower was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Also Read: Dejected Virat Kohli flicks off bails in disappointment after RR loss at Ahmedabad, video goes viral

It's a bit early to talk about that: Flower

Furthermore, Andy Flower was asked about the plans for the franchise for the next season of the IPL in 2025. He did reveal that the side will need some highly skilled bowlers to excel at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and simply pace is not going to be the answer. 

"As far as recruitment for next year, it's a bit early to talk about that. Quite frankly, I don't want to talk about that yet. I do think though the Chinnaswamy has some particular qualities that we need to be able to exploit. You certainly need highly skillful bowlers at Chinnaswamy. Simply pace is not going to be the answer there. You need skillful, intelligent bowlers and people that can bowl to really specific plans at Chinnaswamy,” Flower said.