Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE cricket legend Andy Flower continues to burnish his reputation as one of the sharpest minds in the sport, after masterminding Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) charge to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final in nine years.
Now in his second season with RCB, Flower has elevated the franchise beyond the playoff finish they managed last year, steering them one step closer to their elusive maiden title. The team booked their place in Tuesday’s final with a dominant display against Punjab Kings in the first qualifier.
RCB last appeared in an IPL final in 2016 but are still chasing their first championship crown. Under Flower’s guidance, they’ve shaken off their past over-reliance on their so called “big three” and emerged as a more well rounded outfit, one capable of winning in any conditions.
They’ve already made history this season, becoming the first team ever to win all seven of their designated away games in a single IPL campaign.
Flower’s side also features Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani, who was brought in as a temporary replacement for Lungi Ngidi. Now, they’re just one win away from writing themselves into IPL folklore.
RCB’s place in the final was secured in emphatic fashion. On a surface offering seam and bounce, they skittled Punjab Kings for just 101. The chase wasn’t easy, but Phil Salt took the game by the scruff of the neck, hammering a 23-ball fifty, his fastest in the IPL, to seal the win with ten overs to spare.
Punjab never adjusted to the conditions, with RCB’s quicks pounding a relentless hard length. They shared seven wickets, while leg-spinner Suyash Sharma profited from the Kings’ reckless shot selection and poor reading of his variations, snaring three scalps with his wrong’uns.
Flower and his men will now face the winner of today’s second qualifier, between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, in what promises to be a high stakes showdown for the title.
Sidumisile Mabena