The biggest prize is the RCB dressing room, not the IPL

What does the team that won the championship do?

Some will point to star power. Others will talk about match winners, tactics or performances under pressure. It all matters. But the foundation of any great team is usually something less tangible: culture.

That was perhaps the biggest takeaway from Andy Flower’s dressing room speech after Royal Challengers Bengaluru defended their IPL title with a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans on Sunday.

IPL 2026 FINALS: MAIN | SCORECARD

Flower didn’t talk about statistics. He did not mention trophies, records or individual milestones. Instead, he focused on the people and qualities that helped RCB become only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles.

Addressing Virat Kohli, Flower described the former captain as the “heart” of the dressing room.

“Virat, I know you get a lot of attention and rightly so, but I don’t want to make light of it because you are the heartbeat of this locker room,” Flower said.

What stood out was cause for praise. Flower did not celebrate Kohli’s runs or his man-of-the-match winning knock in the final. He highlighted the courage and standards that Kohli brings to the group every day.

“ ”: Andy Flower Virat Kohli

Coach Andy uncut. From highlighting top performance to the wishes of young guns. Here’s a special of Andy’s locker room talk.

Thank you coach!

Be pic.twitter.com/QHGI6xCmLP— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) June 1, 2026

“The courage you show all the time to go out there and put yourself out there and face high-quality opposition is a bloody great role model for all of us.”

Flower then turned his attention to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, the leaders of RCB’s bowling attack.

“Bhuvi, you and Hoff, the way you led the bowling unit with skill, smarts and a huge heart to do what you do, to bowl at the death, to bowl in the power bowl when great cricketers are going with you. I respect you immensely for that.”

Taken together, these comments offer a glimpse of what RCB have built over the last two seasons. This is not a team dependent on one superstar. It’s a team where senior players set the standard, accept responsibility, and create an environment where everyone understands their role.

This is not always easy to achieve in franchise cricket.

IPL is full of star players and strong personalities. The Mumbai Indians, for example, have fielded teams loaded with elite talent in recent years. Yet even with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, success did not always follow. Talent alone does not guarantee results.

RCB learned this reality during the mega auction. Their focus was not just on getting big names, but on building a balanced team with clearly defined roles. The management then supported these players, created stability and constantly looked for ways to improve.

The result is a team that looks united in goals. Of course there are stars, but also trust, responsibility and clarity.

These properties will not be reflected in the result list. They don’t even appear in highlight reels. Yet they are often the difference between a good team and a champion.

Květín’s speech was a reminder of exactly that. Behind RCB’s second consecutive IPL title is a culture built on courage, trust and leadership. And judging by the way the franchise operates, that culture may prove to be its greatest strength in the coming years.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

1 Jun 2026 15:32 IST