Andy Flower, the ex-head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), is poised to take over as the new coach of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of IPL 2024. He is set to replace Mike Hesson, who currently serves as the director of cricket operations for RCB and Sanjay Bangar.
According to reliable sources, Hesson’s term with the franchise is set to conclude on August 31st. This development comes as a major shake-up for RCB’s coaching staff ahead of the upcoming cricket season.
As the departure of Mike Hesson and other support staff members from RCB draws near, the anticipation of change continues to grow, including the departure of head coach Sanjay Bangar.
Earlier this year, Andy Flower’s tenure with the Lucknow Super Giants came to an end after his two-year contract concluded following IPL 2023. The team, owned by Sanjiv Goenka, has already made arrangements by bringing in the ex-Australian team head coach, Justin Langer, to take charge of the coaching responsibilities.
Andy Flower’s departure from the LSG team sparked interest from multiple franchises, including the Rajasthan Royals (RR). However, it has now been clarified that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have secured his services for the upcoming years as per the reports.
There are rumours of a potential collaboration between Andy Flower, and RCB icon AB de Villiers, but there is no official confirmation yet.
Although the franchise has not made an official announcement, reports within the IPL community strongly suggest that the deal between Andy Flower and RCB has been finalized.
The franchise officials previously mentioned that they couldn’t finalize the coaching decision while the contracts of the current staff led by Mike Hesson were still in effect, adding to the speculation surrounding Flower’s appointment as the new coach for RCB.
Under Mike Hesson’s leadership since 2019, RCB managed to secure playoff berths for three consecutive years before missing out on the 2023 season. Now, the franchise is keen on bringing in new ideas and strategies as they continue to pursue their first-ever IPL title. The disappointment of not making the playoffs in 2023 has left their devoted fan base disheartened.
As for their future course of action, RCB has not made its plans clear yet. It remains uncertain whether the franchise will go for a complete overhaul of the support staff or choose to retain some members in their current roles. The decisions made in the coming weeks will shape the team’s direction for the upcoming seasons. Fans and cricket enthusiasts eagerly await official announcements from the franchise.
