Mohammad Kaif on Royal Challengers Bengaluru: ‘When I used to play…everyone would panic’

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after 18 years, have won their maiden Indian Premier League title this season, beating Punjab Kings in the final. Over the years, the franchise, although it had superstar names on its side, could not get over the line. Former RCB player Mohammad Kaif revealed how different things used to be in the franchise in their unsuccessful years and how they have changed now.

“There was a lot of respect for batters there before. People talk about Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat Kohli as always. They kept changing bowlers if they didn’t do well in one or two games when I used to play. There would be long meetings. Everyone would tell them why you did this, did that. Everyone would panic. Then you do not understand anything. MI and CSK have won five times, these two panic very little and play the same team even if they win or lose. Things may have changed a bit now, though,” he said on his YouTube channel.

However, in the last season, one of the notable changes RCB has brought in their side, unlike before, was maintaining a stable core and giving players a longer rope. Kaif reckoned that this change in the bowling side of things did help RCB take the examples of Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma.

“Even Kohli has gotten out on zero but he is a great batter. He knows to come back and gets the chance. But many players did not get that chance as there would be changes constantly. This change in RCB has come for the good because they are making a team of bowlers now. Bowlers have been told their roles clearly and the plans are very clear too with backing,” he added.

“Krunal Pandya and Suyash, the way they have been backed, this has never happened before. No one has been backed how players have been this time in their history,” he stated.