Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, explained how the brief mid-season break during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) proved crucial in their pursuit of the franchise’s maiden title. The team was performing strongly heading into the business end of the tournament when unexpected circumstances forced the campaign to pause.
Although RCB was in a good position to make the playoffs, a top-two finish was not yet secured. Additionally, the squad faced multiple injury concerns affecting key players. Captain Rajat Patidar and leading bowler Josh Hazlewood both struggled with significant fitness issues.
Devdutt Padikkal was ruled out with a hamstring injury, and Mayank Agarwal replaced him. The break helped Rajat Patidar recover and contribute post-break, while Jitesh Sharma led in his absence, and Josh Hazlewood rejoined after rehab in Australia for the knockouts.
“We were dealing with some injuries—Rajat had a fractured knuckle, Josh Hazlewood had a shoulder issue, and Dev [Padikkal] was struggling with his hamstring. The schedule had taken a toll, but I wanted us to return quickly once the players recovered. I’m glad the break wasn’t too long,” Mo Bobat said in an interview with Cricbuzz.
“There were upsides and downsides to the break. Mentally, it was tough as we were in good form and didn’t want to lose momentum. Physically, it was helpful since we had just played seven games in 21–22 days with constant travel—probably the most demanding schedule any team faced,” the RCB director added.
“We Never Tried To Force Them To Stay”- Mo Bobat On RCB Overseas Players
Franchises faced a difficult situation when the tournament was suspended, and with no clarity on its resumption, most overseas players chose to leave, some opting not to return. Mo Bobat recalled that RCB allowed players to make their own decisions without any pressure.
“As soon as the postponement happened, Andy and I met the overseas players. We treated them as adults and respected their choice to leave if they felt unsafe. At no point did we try to force them to stay,” Bobat said.
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