“It’s a really good and apt question to ask,” Flower said on the eve of RCB’s first game at Eden Gardens. “Krunal was a significant part of our targeted players in the auction. He’s a smart and courageous cricketer and he’s got leadership experience as well. So having his nous, he’s a street-wise operator and he’s obviously got class as a left-arm spinner, let alone as an all-rounder. That is comforting to have in our group and leading the way in the spin department.”
“On the wristspin front, Suyash is a very exciting young prospect with limited experience, but has a really high ceiling. And Mohit Rathee to back him up,” Flower said. “You know, we are looking for great things from Suyash, but none of us know exactly how he’s going to go in a full IPL season. And every young player starts off that way.
“He’s rehabbing after a recent groin surgery and that’s gone really well. That’s been a long-standing injury problem he had, which we identified during the off season. And he’s had some really good care and attention from RCB. We’re hoping for great things from him. But we are also not expecting him to be, you know, Shane Warne from the off.
“We’ve got to be patient and let him learn from his experiences. And it’s good that he’s got these experienced cricketers around him and a captain he’ll be comfortable working with. To back them up, obviously Swapnil Singh was good for us last year. and Liam Livingstone does a bit of everything. Having him as backup on the spin department is quite a nice insurance to have. So we’re comfortable with where we are.”
“I think having influential people in your squad that have performed at the top level, of course, that gives them a level of confidence. You get confidence from the evidence of them succeeding at the top level in the past, and there are a lot of our guys that have done that.
“For instance, our bowling attack, we’ve got Hazlewood, Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar] Yash and Krunal, and even Yash has got some good experience now. He’s got a pretty calm, good head on his shoulders. So that’s four guys that will almost be captaining themselves in terms of tactics and decision making.”
RCB start their season with tough games, however, Flower sees that as a positive to get off the blocks against quality teams. When asked if facing the defending champions first was daunting, Flower turned the tables: “Yes, it is very daunting. For KKR!
“I hope it is an El-Clasico tomorrow night. That’ll be a brilliant way to start IPL 2025.”
