IPL 2026: RCB head coach Andy Flower expresses readiness ahead of clash against GT

RCB players celebrate the wicket of DC’s Nitish Rana in Delhi on Monday. Pic/IPL

A string of seven defeats in the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) proved to be the catalyst for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and like a Phoenix they rose to win six in a row to make it to the 2025 Playoffs and eventually become champions.

Currently, in the 19th edition, RCB continue to be in rampant form and on Thursday, as they face an inconsistent Gujarat Titans, it's the perfect opportunity to race to the top of the points table. RCB are currently in second place with 12 points from six wins in eight matches, behind Punjab Kings (13 points).

Andy Flower. Pic/IPL

RCB head coach Andy Flower oozed confidence at the match-eve press conference on Wednesday. "We have been very good at taking wickets in the Powerplay to put the opposition under pressure. We're comfortable with whatever conditions are put in front of us. We believe we have an attack that can exploit different surfaces. We have a good mix of experienced swing bowlers [Bhuvneshwar Kumar], a world-class fast bowler in [Josh] Hazlewood, and spinners who bring different skill sets. That variety gives us strong options in different phases of the game. At the same time, we have strong depth in our batting, which gives the group a lot of confidence," Flower told reporters at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel is hoping his well-rounded bowling can turn the screws on RCB. "We have four pace bowlers. We have spin options in Manav Sutar, Washington Sundar and Rashid Khan. So, we have seven bowlers, who are bowling four overs at a time. So, it's not that we have to make shift with a part-time bowler," he said.

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No. of times RCB have faced GT in Ahmedabad; they won that contest in 2024 by 9 wkts