Former Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Andy Flower has been chosen to lead the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side from the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2024. He will replace the outgoing head coach Sanjay Bangar, while the side have also let go of their Director of Cricket Operations Mike Hesson.
Flower is an ICC Hall of Famer and has won the T20 World Cup as the coach of England in 2010. Before taking the helm as the head coach for Lucknow Super Giants, the assistant coach provided his expertise to Kings XI Punjab (which was renamed Punjab Kings) during the IPL seasons of 2020 and 2021.
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The Zimbabwean cricketer has massive experience in T20 cricket leagues across multiple international teams. He worked with the St. Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2020, with Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2021, and was a part of the Gulf Giants in the ILT20 in 2023.
Notably, he also provided his expertise to the Australian cricket team during the recently completed Ashes series. Flower was a presence in the Australian dressing room for the final three Ashes Tests, serving as a consultant to their coaching staff.
Meanwhile, Hesson's tenure with RCB started in 2019, and during his time, the team managed to reach the playoffs for three straight years. However, their hopes for a top-four finish in the IPL 2023 were dashed due to an outstanding performance by Shubman Gill in a crucial match.
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Hesson and Bangar had a special connection with former skipper Virat Kohli. Both were in their current positions for five years. But even under their tutelage, the franchise has not been able to win their first IPL title. The team could not even make it to the playoffs in the 2023 edition of the season. At the same time, it is not yet clear whether the team will rely on an Indian or foreign
Meanwhile, among other backroom staff changes in this competition, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) announced former Australian opener and head coach Justin Langer as their head coach for next year's Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Langer was named coach as Flower's two-year contract came to an end.
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