Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, praised his team’s energy as IPL 2025 returns after a short break. On Monday, the BCCI announced that IPL 2025 would restart. It also released the schedule for the remaining 17 matches. Earlier, the board had paused the league for a week due to tensions between India and Pakistan.
Players Return Refreshed
During a pre-match press conference, Bobat explained how the break helped the players recharge. “It was an unusual few days for everybody. For me personally, there was lots to sort out and it was a busy few days. For many of our lads, actually, it was a well-earned rest. So quite a few of them enjoyed getting home, seeing family, even if it’s just for a couple of days and then coming back again. Actually, we were saying even yesterday, the boys came in with a lot of energy for their practice. So as far as the group are concerned, they look to be in a really good place. So, we are pretty pleased about that,” Bobat said.
Unexpected Pause Created Challenges
However, Bobat admitted the break also brought some difficulties. “I’m sure all the teams experienced the same thing. Once your players have gone home and once the dates have been extended, that creates a bit of uncertainty,” he noted.
Overseas Players Ready to Finish the Job
Even so, Bobat said the RCB overseas players showed strong commitment. “We spoke quite a lot with our overseas guys even before they went. Most of them were pretty adamant that they were keen to come back and finish the job off,” he explained.
RCB to Miss Key Players Soon
As a result of the extended season, RCB will soon lose a couple of players. “We’ve had a good season so far. They want to come back and do that. The extending of the season presented some challenges. I had to have a few conversations with some of the national team governing bodies. Obviously, we’ll lose Jacob Bethel after a couple of games, and we’ll lose Lungi Ngidi after a couple of games. There’s an obvious impact there,” he added.
RCB Prepare for a Crucial Clash
Now, the tournament will resume on May 17 with a high-stakes match between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Currently, RCB hold the second position on the points table with 8 wins and 3 losses in 11 games. Meanwhile, KKR sit in sixth place, having won 5 out of 12 matches.
