Andy Flower credits RCB's historic IPL triumph to auction strategy
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has credited their historic IPL 2025 title victory to a well-planned auction strategy.
The team broke an 18-year-long trophy drought by defeating Punjab Kings in the final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
Flower revealed that RCB entered the mega auction with a budget of ₹83 crore and spent it wisely to build a strong squad.
Strategy shift
Focus on strong bowling attack
Flower explained that the team moved away from their traditional approach of going after big hitters.
He stressed on the importance of a strong bowling attack, saying, "The auction is a huge first step, and you've got to try and get it as right as possible."
He added that one of Mo Bobat's key philosophies was to distribute value more equitably instead of overspending on big-name batsmen.
Strategy payoff
Flexibility to find great value
Flower acknowledged that RCB faced criticism for not bidding for big players on the first day of the auction.
"On the first day of the auction, we received a bit of criticism—people felt like we were investing money instead of spending it. But that strategy gave us the flexibility to find great value on the second day."
The team was able to sign key players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, Tim David and Romario Shepherd—all important additions to their squad.
Team effort
Nine different players won MoM awards for RCB
RCB's title pursuit was a collective team effort, with nine different players winning the Player of the Match award.
Josh Hazlewood (22 wickets), Krunal Pandya (17 wickets), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (17 wickets), Yash Dayal (13 wickets) and Suyash Sharma (8 wickets) all played a key role in their historic win.
This shows how each player contributed to RCB's success this season.
Prize money
RCB's title win comes with ₹20 crore prize money
RCB's IPL 2025 title win comes with a cash prize of ₹20 crore. The runner-up, Punjab Kings, will get ₹12.5 crore.
The tournament continues to be the highest-paying cricket league in the world, with its prize money structure remaining unchanged since 2022.
This year's championship prize and runners-up reward are significantly higher than what was offered in the inaugural season of IPL.