As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepare for their final group-stage match of IPL 2025 against Lucknow Super Giants, spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan has dismissed comparisons between the franchise’s titleless history and the decades-long struggles of the English men’s football team. With a playoff spot already secured and a chance to finish in the top two on the table, Rangarajan believes the current team is built differently — and more effectively — than ever before.
Addressing the lingering narrative about RCB’s lack of IPL trophies, Rangarajan responded candidly. “England had won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, but yes it is true that we have not won the IPL title,” he acknowledged. “And we are doing what we can to ensure we become a more consistent and better team. If you look at the last five to six years, RCB has become a more consistent franchise. Whatever people used to say, I don’t know if it is true or not, but people used to say that our batting was very good and bowling not so much.”
He emphasized that the team’s present outlook is defined by balance and focus rather than history. “It feels like we have a balanced team, which gives a little balance to our output. So, our thinking, like all the teams’, is to win. What happened in the past is not the responsibility of the current players. It is the responsibility of the current players, which is there today and tomorrow’s match.”
Rangarajan was firm in his belief that the current roster plays without the weight of past failures. “So, if we win, it will be good, but I know everyone, I know each and every player and everyone knows what their wish is and what they want to do. So, there is definitely no pressure where we have not won, because we think how we want to play,” he added.
With a top-of-the-table finish in sight — only their second in IPL history — RCB’s current crop of players looks determined to define their own legacy, regardless of past narratives.
