Ahmedabad: Accoladeshave been pouring in for Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru lift their second IPL title on the bounce, but another man might be having a soft chuckle of satisfaction in a quiet corner.

Andy Flower - the silent revolutionary who transformed RCB from history-seekers to history-makers.

When he took over the reins in August 2023, RCB were still searching for their first IPL title, leaving them a target for merciless social media trolls. It would not be an exaggeration to think that the Royal Challengers then were the Paris St Germain of the IPL, a team thriving on Galacticos culture. Just like the PSG, now two-time UEFA Champions League winners under Luis Enrique, the Royal Challengers too went through years of disappointment despite assembling a glittering array of stars. At the club level, he had orchestrated the title wins for Multan Sultans, Gulf Giants, Trent Rockets and Maratha Arabians in various franchise leagues. It mirrored Enrique's treble-winning success with Barcelona, and ending PSG's 55-year wait for an European crown. But for all that, Flower needed to break the set patterns in the Royal Challengers establishment. Once he took over from Mike Hesson, Flower's concentration was to fortify RCB's bowling, yet, the signing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar ahead of IPL 2025 for Rs 10.75 crore raised a lot of eyebrows.