{"id":15357,"date":"2026-06-01T12:29:24","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T06:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/rcbs-rise-across-ipl-wpl-feels-closer-to-the-manchester-city-model-cricket-news\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T12:29:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T06:59:24","slug":"rcbs-rise-across-ipl-wpl-feels-closer-to-the-manchester-city-model-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/rcbs-rise-across-ipl-wpl-feels-closer-to-the-manchester-city-model-cricket-news\/","title":{"rendered":"RCB&#8217;s rise across IPL, WPL feels closer to the Manchester City model | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-131435322,imgsize-172720,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/rcb-ipl-wpl-champions.jpg\" alt=\"RCB's rise across IPL, WPL feels closer to the Manchester City model\" title=\"Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the reigning IPL and WPL champions.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the reigning IPL and WPL champions.\">Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the reigning IPL and WPL champions.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"strong\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">New Delhi:<\/span> For years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were Indian cricket&#8217;s great romantics.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>They had the stars. They had the fan base. They had the moments. What they didn&#8217;t have were the trophies.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/> <span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>RCB reached <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/ipl\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\">IPL<\/a> finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 and fell short. For 18 years, supporters watched squads built around icons such as Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli come agonisingly close, only for the title to remain out of reach. RCB became synonymous with promise rather than achievement, with passion rather than silverware.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>That is why what has happened over the last three years feels so remarkable.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>With the IPL 2026 title secured in Ahmedabad on Sunday, RCB have now won back-to-back titles.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>Their women&#8217;s team, meanwhile, can take credit for leading the way by winning the 2024 Women&#8217;s Premier League (WPL) title. The Smriti Mandhana-led team made it two trophies in three years in February.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"20\"\/>Fast forward to May 31 and the franchise that once carried the burden of underachievement now sits atop both of India&#8217;s premier T20 leagues.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/> <\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"IPL 2026 RCB champions\" msid=\"131435338\" width=\"\" title=\"Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans to win back-to-back IPL titles.\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131435338\/ipl-2026-rcb-champions.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans to win back-to-back IPL titles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"25\"\/>The transformation has not been sudden. It has been structural.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>The old RCB often looked like a team assembled around star power. The new RCB looks like one built around systems. Recruitment has become smarter. Roles are clearer. The dependence on one or two superstars has reduced. Success is no longer expected to arrive because of individual brilliance; it is engineered through squad depth, planning and continuity.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>That shift is visible across both teams.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>The WPL side got there first. While the inaugural years of WPL saw teams scrambling to understand squad construction, or even the shelf life of the competition, RCB steadily built a core, backed leaders and created an environment where players could thrive. <!-- -->The titles that followed were a reward for patience rather than a consequence of short-term approaches.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/> <\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"RCB WPL 2026 win\" msid=\"131435358\" width=\"\" title=\"Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals to win WPL 2026 - their second title in three years. \" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131435358\/rcb-wpl-2026-win.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals to win WPL 2026 &#8211; their second title in three years. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>The men&#8217;s team has followed a similar path since <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/rajat-patidar\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\">Rajat Patidar<\/a> took over the leadership mantle from Virat Kohli.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/>The emotional weight of finally winning the IPL title in 2025 could easily have led to complacency. Instead, it became the foundation for sustained excellence. Defending a title is often harder than winning one. Yet RCB returned in 2026 looking less like champions protecting a crown and more like a team convinced it belonged at the top.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/>That mindset is what separates champions from dynasties.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"49\"\/>Football offers examples. FC Barcelona&#8217;s golden era with the men&#8217;s team and the Femeni was not defined by one trophy but by a culture that repeatedly produced winning teams. More recently, Manchester City&#8217;s men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s teams have both become consistent title challengers because the club&#8217;s philosophy extends across the organisation rather than being limited to a single squad.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/> <\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Man City women Getty Images\" msid=\"131435401\" width=\"\" title=\"Manchester City Women won the 2026 Women's FA Cup after beating Brighton. (Getty Images)\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131435401\/man-city-women-getty-images.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Manchester City Women won the 2026 Women&#8217;s FA Cup after beating Brighton. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"55\"\/>RCB&#8217;s rise feels closer to that model.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"57\"\/>For perhaps the first time in the franchise&#8217;s history, there is alignment between the men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s teams. Both sides reflect similar principles: trust in long-term planning, strong leadership groups and a willingness to prioritise balance over glamour.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>For most of their existence, RCB lived in the shadow of their own narrative. Every season was accompanied by reminders of heartbreaks, near-misses and unrealised potential. <!-- -->The franchise became a punchline for rivals and a test of loyalty for supporters.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"63\"\/>Now, those conversations have changed.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"65\"\/> <\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"RCB IPL 2026 ANI\" msid=\"131435418\" width=\"\" title=\"Royal Challengers Bengaluru joined Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in clinching consecutive IPL titles. (ANI)\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" imgsize=\"\" resizemode=\"4\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/msid-131435418\/rcb-ipl-2026-ani.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Royal Challengers Bengaluru joined Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in clinching consecutive IPL titles. (ANI)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"68\"\/>Young fans are growing up knowing RCB not as perennial underachievers but as serial winners. The franchise&#8217;s identity is being rewritten in real time. The memories that once centred on what could have been, are increasingly being replaced by celebrations of achievement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"70\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-type=\"in_view\" class=\"  \">\n<div class=\"sQLTU timeline_pollWrapper_as  \" data-scrollga=\"scroll#poll_view\">\n<div>\n<p>What do you think contributed more to RCB&#8217;s recent success?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"72\"\/>From cricket&#8217;s nearly-men to the standard-bearers of Indian franchise cricket, RCB have completed one of the most significant transformations the IPL era has seen. And with titles now flowing from both their men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s teams, the franchise is no longer chasing history.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"74\"\/>It is making it.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"76\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/cricket\/ipl\/ipl-2026\/rcbs-rise-across-ipl-wpl-feels-closer-to-the-manchester-city-model\/articleshow\/131435028.cms\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the reigning IPL and WPL champions. New Delhi: For years, Royal Challengers Bengaluru were Indian cricket&#8217;s great romantics.They had the stars. They had the fan base. They had the moments. What they didn&#8217;t have were the trophies. RCB reached IPL finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 and fell short. For 18 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[263],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15357\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}