RCB title drought continues to be a talking point, but coach Malolan Rangarajan believes the current squad is better positioned than ever to change that narrative. Speaking ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s final league-stage match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rangarajan addressed recent criticisms, praised the team’s balance, and shared a clear roadmap for playoff success.
RCB Title Drought Not a Burden Anymore, Says Coach
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan dismissed criticism surrounding the franchise’s title drought and brushed off comparisons to England’s underwhelming football record. He stressed that past failures don’t weigh down the current squad, which he believes is more balanced and better equipped than previous line-ups.
“England had won the FIFA World Cup in 1966, but yes, it is true that we have not won the IPL title,” Rangarajan said. “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 added.
Despite a recent loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB have been bolstered by the return of their lead pacer, Josh Hazlewood, from injury. However, Rangarajan kept the focus on the full squad.
“There is no doubt about how good Josh Hazlewood is as a player and what great impact he has had for us, but it is also important to remember in his absence, we played 2 games, we won 1 and we lost another, Lungi Ngidi had filled in very well and we believe in the strength of the whole squad, there is Nuwan Thushara who is chomping at the pits and even people forget that we have a very talented Indian pace bowler in Rasikh Salam, so while we are very happy about Hazlewood coming back to the squad, we and everybody needs to remember the quality that is existing within our playing squad,” he said.
Post-Break Defeat a “Wake-Up Call” — But RCB Stay Focused
RCB resumed their IPL campaign on May 23 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, following a three-week hiatus. Their earlier fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 17 had been washed out due to rain. The break, triggered by cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, left the team out of match practice.
Reflecting on their batting collapse against SRH, where they were bowled out while chasing 232 and lost their last seven wickets for just 16 runs, Malolan admitted there were areas they could have handled better.
“It has been documented very well that it was a good knock on the chin for us, a good wake-up call and now looking forward, even though we have guaranteed place in one of the playoff games, it is important to focus on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and what is going to happen in the Ekana Stadium and that is what we are focusing on, how best we can start bowling, how can we put pressure back on the opponents, so we will be focusing on that. Once that is done, we will look at how and who we play in the playoffs,” Malolan said at the pre-match press conference.
A Win Against LSG Could Shift the RCB Title Drought Storyline
With a playoff berth already secured, RCB now eye a top-two finish, which would give them two chances to reach the IPL 2025 final. A win over LSG would take them to 19 points (nine wins, four losses, one no result), and depending on the result of the Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians clash, RCB could rise to the top two — a significant step toward ending the RCB title drought.
The IPL 2025 match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at Lucknow