Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad has raised concerns about Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), questioning their approach to team building. He pointed out their apparent lack of focus on investing in local players over the years and asked whether the franchise is more interested in building a brand rather than seriously competing to win the Indian Premier League (IPL).
RCB is set to begin their IPL season on March 22 against the reigning champions, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Currently, the RCB squad includes only two players from Karnataka: Manoj Bhandage, an all-rounder who hasn’t played a match since joining in 2023, and Devdutt Padikkal, an Indian batsman. Padikkal had successful seasons with RCB in 2020 and 2021, followed by moderately good seasons with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and a less impressive season with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) last year, scoring just 38 runs in seven games. RCB re-acquired him at auction last year for his base price of Rs 2 crores.
Historically, numerous talented cricketers from Karnataka, such as Anil Kumble, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, and Mayank Agarwal, have represented RCB. However, despite some level of success, the team’s performance has largely depended on the contributions of star batsman Virat Kohli and international stars like Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Faf Du Plessis, and Glenn Maxwell. This contrasts with many other IPL franchises that have traditionally built their team around local or domestic players as key figures.
Speaking on JioHotstar about RCB’s management, Venkatesh Prasad commented, “Team management is crucial. Other teams are showing confidence in local talent, so why isn’t RCB doing the same? Are they prioritizing brand building, or are they genuinely aiming to win the IPL? They need to maximize the potential of their players, which hasn’t been evident so far.”
Former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee also spoke about RCB’s remarkable turnaround last season. After winning only one of their first eight matches, they made an impressive comeback, winning six consecutive games and reaching the playoffs.
Brett Lee mentioned on JioHotstar, “Everyone had written them off at the beginning, but I actually predicted they would win. People laughed, but look how far they progressed.”
Similarly, former Indian opening batsman Aakash Chopra noted that at one point, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs seemed “virtually zero.” However, RCB maintained hope, and from that hope, “belief emerged.”
“They fought their way back, and their performances reflected that. Some seasons leave you contemplating whether things are half full or half empty. Initially, it felt empty – devoid of hope. But by the end, it was overflowing with emotion. They may not have won the trophy, but they can be immensely proud of that season,” he concluded.
