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RCB (Source: Twitter)
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Friday, August 4 confirmed the appointment of T20 World Cup winning coach Andy Flower as their new head coach. The Zimbabwean international will replace Sanjay Bangar in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after the Bangalore-based franchise refused to renew the contracts of the latter and Director of cricket operations Mike Hesson.
Flower was the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the last two years and guided the team to reach the playoffs in both seasons. The Lucknow-based franchise earlier confirmed that they parted ways with the former Zimbabwe wicket-keeper batter. After reports of RCB releasing Bangar and Hesson earlier surfaced, there were rumors that Flower would continue in the role with the 2016 IPL finalists.
RCB made the announcement on their Twitter handle: "We are beyond thrilled to welcome ICC Hall of Famer and T20 World Cup winning coach Andy Flower as the Head Coach of RCB Men’s team. Andy’s experience of coaching IPL & T20 teams around the world, and leading his teams to titles at the PSL, ILT20, The Hundred and Abu Dhabi T10 will help in developing a championship winning mindset and take RCB’s Play Bold philosophy forward," the team added.
We are beyond thrilled to welcome ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ and ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฝ winning coach ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ as the ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต of RCB Menโs team. ๐คฉ๐
โ Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) August 4, 2023
Andyโs experience of coaching IPL & T20 teams around the world, and leading his teams to titlesโฆ pic.twitter.com/WsMYGCkcYT
Former New Zealand cricket team coach Hesson joined RCB in August 2019, the year the team endured a terrible season, finishing last in the points table. The 48-year-old then led the team to three straight playoff appearances. Meanwhile, Bangar was appointed ahead of the 2022 season and helped the team finish fourth that year, but they failed to qualify in the 2023 season.
Canโt wait to fully experience the atmosphere in Chinnaswamy: Flower
Reacting to his appointment as RCB's head coach, Flower said that he is honoured to represent the franchise and excited to experience the massive fan craze in the upcoming season. He will work alongside Faf du Plessis, who he has worked with in the past, and will aim to win the maiden IPL trophy for the franchise.
“I am really proud to be joining RCB. I’m truly honoured to represent a franchise of their size, reputation and standing. RCB have an unrivalled fan following and I can’t wait to fully experience the atmosphere in the Chinnaswamy next season,” Andy Flower said in an official statement released by RCB," Flower said.
“I recognise the work put in by Mike Hesson and Sanjay Bangar, who are two coaches I respect, and I look forward to the challenge of taking RCB to new heights. I’m particularly excited to be reunited with Faf. We have worked very well together in the past and I look forward to forging our partnership and relationship into something bigger and better," he added.
Here's how fans reacted to the appointment of Andy Flower as new RCB head coach:
Rival coach ko sign tf
โ KulDeep (@KulDeepahir_21) August 4, 2023
ek toh ye phool banayega nhi toh fool
โ a : august era ๐ง (@nushhhhhhhhhh) August 4, 2023
Kya pata ab RCB ki kismat ke bhi phool(flower) khil jaye๐ฅฒ
โ Anshuman Mishra (@Anshuma17688507) August 4, 2023
He is not flower he is fire
โ Muttu ms (@muttu1745) August 4, 2023
He smiled for the one last time ๐๐
โ ๐๐'๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ (@Urstruly__Vamsi) August 4, 2023
New era begins ๐ฅ๐ฅ
โ ๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐โก (@82off52) August 4, 2023
Virat bhaiya se fight ka revenge liya ja rha hai ๐
โ Amit Sharma โก (@amitsharma7095) August 4, 2023
heโll probably leave after seeing the dark reality of rcb management ๐
โ ' (@koliesque) August 4, 2023
RCB will change everything other than their need to keep changing something
โ Vibin Babuurajan ๐ (@vibinbaburajan) August 4, 2023