Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 4 : Team mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik had special praise in store for the head coach Andy Flower, who had a "plan and vision" from the start and put the entire Royal Challengers Bengaluru through "rigour" en route to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title after 18 years.
The wait of millions of Bengaluru fans finally came to a sweet end when its franchise icon went down on his knees, soaking in every moment that passed by.
Royal Challengers pipped Punjab Kings by six runs to paint Ahmedabad red. Moments after a victory that will live rent-free in the hearts of each RCB fan, Karthik put special emphasis on the unsung hero, Flower, who pulled the strings behind the scenes to find the perfect blueprint for Bengaluru's triumph.
"This game, the final, it's not about the pitch; it's about the emotion and the fire in the tank. A lot of credit goes to the support staff. Must say Andy Flower put us through the rigour," Karthik said after the match.
For Karthik, Flower had a special impact on him. The way Flower groomed him helped him turn into a better batting coach than he started.
"Really pushed us. And I think it made us a good support staff. I've become a better batting coach than I started. The way he's groomed me and helped me. From the start, he had a plan and a vision. Amazing work by the boys," he added.
For Karthik, the victory was "massive", considering legends including Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, and Virat endured 18 years of agony before experiencing euphoria.
"Massive. It's a team that's waited 18 years. I played a lot of good cricket but had to wait for its time. But it belongs to every fan here. Virat Kohli. The greats like AB and Gayle, they've all tried their hearts out. A couple of support staff in our team: Basu, Mane kaka, they've all waited 18 years. Really happy for them," he said.
RCB didn't just start fathoming the thought after qualifying for the playoffs. The belief was instilled in the team right from the beginning, and the pressure served as a motivation boost.
"Right from the start, we believed we were a team that was good. We had a lot of bases covered. Great to see different boys stand up at different points in time. Even today, it was a high-pressure game, and they really pushed us," he said.