Bengaluru, March 24
Royal Challengers Bengaluru director of cricket Mo Bobat said that the team will look to start the Indian Premier League 2026 season with humility and that the Bengaluru-based franchise will not be "carrying the ego of one year of success" after their maiden title win last year.
RCB ended their 17-year wait as the men's team clinched their maiden IPL title in 2025. However, speaking at RCB's pre-season press conference ahead of the 2026 season, RCB's director of cricket said that the team will treat IPL 2026 as a fresh start, focusing on humility and basics rather than past success. He added that the team's priority is to play its brand of cricket and entertain fans.
"This is a new campaign. It's a new season. A bit like last season, we weren't carrying the baggage of 17 years. This year, we're not carrying the ego of one year of success either. We have to start with humility. We have to focus on our game, our basics and what we want to do. Well, we always want to put on a show for our fans. That's for sure. RCB's always done that on and off the field. We want to put on a show for our fans. We want to play the way we want to play, and that's our focus right now," Mo Bobat said.
Mo Bobat said franchise cricket is constantly changing, with players coming and going, and noted that not everyone at RCB experienced the 17-year wait, as some, like himself, have only been with the team for a short time.
"Franchise cricket is so transient and players come and go, and whilst our fans and the franchise might have been chasing that elusive trophy for 17 years, that isn't the view of the world of everybody involved. For example, if I take myself, it was only my second season with RCB," he said.
Mo Bobat said he isn't burdened by RCB's past title drought, bringing fresh energy and optimism in his second season, a mindset shared by much of the squad. He added that Virat Kohli's journey is unique, having experienced the highs and lows over the years, making the 2025 title win especially emotional.
"Whilst I'm mindful of the many years that we hadn't won the trophy, I'm not personally carrying that baggage. It's my second year. So, I've got a lot of fresh energy and a lot of optimism. That is true for much of the squad. Virat's quite a unique case in point. Obviously, he's done the whole journey, and he's, you know, he's ridden the highs and the lows of many years. So, for him personally, obviously, it was quite an emotional outpouring at the end of that game (IPL 2025 final), and that was quite beautiful to see," Mo Bobat added.
Defending champions RCB will kick off their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
- ANI
Reader Comments
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.