RCB used to rely on individual superstars, now they are winning as a unit

During its inception, Royal Challengers Bengaluru was seen as a franchise that loved glamor and attention more than the actual cricket played on the field. Driven by then-owner Vijay Mallya’s penchant for high living, the team actively brought in major Bollywood and regional film stars as official brand ambassadors, creating a massive entertainment crossover. On match nights, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium felt less like a traditional cricket venue and more like an exclusive red carpet event. Glamour, lifestyle and high-profile after-parties routinely shared the same price tag as the sport itself.

Qualifier 1, RCB vs GT: Highlights | Scorecard

For more than a decade, this Hollywood approach manifested itself on the turf through a heavy reliance on individual genius. RCB has become a fantasy league experiment brought to life, built entirely on the fearsomely superior batting of legendary superstars. If the stars aligned, they looked unstoppable. If they failed, the deck collapsed.

This harsh reality was revealed by former Chennai Super Kings batsman Ambati Rayudu, who recalled exactly what it was like for rival teams to plan against these iconic but flawed lineups:

“When we won against RCB, it was a win against RCB. When we lost, we lost to AB de Villiers, we lost to Virat Kohli or we lost to Chris Gayle. We never lost to RCB. Only when these guys performed, they could beat a team like CSK or MI. But now I don’t see any team that comes close to how good these guys are.”

SUPERSTAR TRAP

This superstar-centric failure is not unique to cricket. The world of sports is littered with “video game lineups” that actually fit the bill perfectly. Take football’s most famous experiment: the Galcticos era at Real Madrid in the early 2000s. Despite boasting Ronald Nazrio, Luso Figo, David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane under one roof, this visually stunning group has failed to actually be crowned Europe’s best – meaning they haven’t won the Champions League together. The team lacked balance, defensive drive and structural cohesion.

A modern parallel appeared on Paris Saint-Germain. Pairing of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbapp and Neymar Jr. they created a marketing juggernaut alongside seasoned winners such as Sergio Ramos and Achraf Hakimi, but they too fell short of the billing and routinely fell apart in Europe. Coincidentally, when both teams ended up overlooking superstars and building an actual team, that’s when they found success.

RCB found themselves in the same boat. They had the best calling cards but lacked a functional engine room.

STRUCTURAL SHIFT

Now, however, there seems to be a definite shift in that thinking. The franchise has embraced a deeper focus on gameplay above all else and created a structural overhaul behind the scenes. This transformation starts directly with management. With Mo Bobat steering the ship as director of cricket, along with the analytical, high-powered mind of head coach Andy Flower and the addition of Dinesh Karthik as assistant coach, the franchise has traded lifestyle for cold, calculated cricketing logic.

Instead of looking for the next headline maker, this think tank focused on utility, depth and a clear role. The evolution has taken them from a first-class batting order to a robust, balanced eleven where any individual can turn a game on its head on any given day.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, former coach Tom Moody encapsulated this cultural shift perfectly:

“RCB’s identity was their superstars. So simple, so you didn’t know them as a team, you knew them as AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, that was their identity. So everyone associated them with incredible players, but no one really recognized them as a team. Now they’re recognized as a team. Yes, Kohli is still there and the other things are still at that level, but he’s still at an amazing level. That what comes with it is shared success, it’s not always one person here and everyone recognizes and accepts it.”

BEARING THE FRUIT OF IRONY

RCB are finally reaping the rewards of some incredibly tough decisions, moving away from the safety net of popular marketing and leaning towards raw, collective responsibility.

What is deeply ironic about this transformation is that this newfound blueprint is one of the key philosophies of one of their biggest and most vocal rivals: Gautam Gambhir. for years Gambhir espoused the ideology that “names don’t win you tournaments, but teams do,” they often built squads that lacked individual megastars but had infinite depth. By finally embracing this exact ethos, RCB have shed their old skins, traded glamor for grit and built a machine capable of winning together.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

May 27, 2026 12:07 PM IST