Royal Challengers Bengaluru former wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel has made a bold claim, stating the franchise was all about the individuals – Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle – during his tenure with the team. The former Gujarat captain had two stints in RCB – in 2014 and from 2018 to 2020.
Meanwhile, RCB has made it to three IPL finals but they haven’t been able to go all the way despite an impressive batting unit. The likes of AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle had a great record for the franchise but they failed to cross the last hurdle.
Virat Kohli top-scored with 761 runs in 15 matches in IPL 2024 but the franchise was knocked out after their four-wicket loss against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.
Parthiv Patel said on Cyrus Says podcast, “I played for RCB, I’ve have been there for four years. The team is always about individuals it’s not about the team. And then everyone will come out of that team will say that. Because it’s all about Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle when I was in the team. So they were given the kind of special preference always so there the team culture was not there you can see clearly when they are playing, and that is the reason why they haven’t won the trophies. That’s the fact.”
RCB has often been criticized for their lack of collective effort. The team has remained dependent on particular batters and their bowling unit has been their Achilles Heel over the years.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle are the top three run-getters for the franchise in IPL history. Kohli tops the chart with 8004 runs in 252 matches at an average of 38.67 and a strike rate of 131.97. The talisman is also the highest run-getter in IPL history.
