Who is Freddie Wilde? Analyst who predicted RCB’s failures later helping them win maiden IPL title

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their IPL title wait as they defeated Punjab Kings in the finals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday evening. While players and support staff's emotions were on top of the moon after the historic feat, one man’s name - head analyst Freddie Wilde - became a topic because of the strategy making that helped change RCB’s fortune.

Wilde, who is also a journalist, co-authored a book, 'Cricket 2.0: Inside the T20 Revolution' with Tim Wigmore in 2019. It was in this book’s 12th chapter, titled 'Why CSK Wins and Why RCB Lose,' that he analysed RCB’s flaws. According to the chapter, RCB’s downfall was due to their constant instability, frequent team changes, poor balance, and lack of strategic planning, despite having world-class players.

Wilde further wrote that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have succeeded due to leadership stability. Interestingly, just four years later, RCB hired Wilde to be part of the very solution he once outlined as a problem. Appointed as the Head of Analysis in 2023, Wilde joined the franchise that he had once given an honest take on.

Wilde’s duties involved performance analytics, breaking down individual matchups, identifying opposition weaknesses, and fine-tuning tactical decisions with data. In early 2023, Wilde was appointed as England's white-ball team analyst, stepping in after Nathan Leamon. He brought his experience from RCB, ILT20's Desert Vipers, and The Hundred’s Oval Invincibles to an England side preparing to defend their ODI World Cup title.

However, ahead of England's five-match Test series against India starting June 20, Wilde, along with Leamon, were sacked from the ECB setup. The decision was made after England's head coach, Brendon McCullum's preference for instinct over data. England’s management now believes data-heavy strategies are more suited for franchise leagues like the IPL. Despite his ECB exit, Wilde’s presence in RCB's think tank has played a huge role in lifting their maiden IPL title.