RCB has qualified for the playoffs three out of five times under him.
The former head coach of the New Zealand cricket team, Mike Hesson, took up the coaching hat for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2019. In an interview with Sportskeeda, he revealed some of his tactics and techniques.
While discussing the primary responsibilities of an international coach, Hesson emphasised the assessment of the home and foreign conditions alongside the tactical strategies.
“You’re playing sides in your own conditions and foreign conditions that you’ve got to make sure you prepare the team to excel in those conditions. And obviously the tactical side, from day to day or session by session, you’ve got to add value and observe and ask the right questions of the playing group. Being an international coach is about all three”, Hesson expressed.
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The former Blackcaps coach Hesson feels like the technical strategies are “a lot less” in the franchise cricket tournaments than the internationals. The short time frame makes it difficult for the coaches to bring together a new bunch of players and connect them mentally for the team’s success.
“In terms of building a team culture in a very short space of time, and bringing that group together and working with all of those players, that’s very much man management and understanding who you’re working with. And then very much tactical – how can you get the best out of this group? You’ve either inherited a group or you’ve bought a group together at a draft or an auction and you’ve got to find a strategy that suits that group of players to be successful – obviously you’ve got to add a fair bit of tactical knowledge – but the technical work is probably a lot less in a short space of time like a franchise tournament”, he added.
Furthermore, the 50-year-old has shared his experience of working with different captains like Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum. According to him, a coach must “adapt to the style of the captain”.
“I see the coach’s job is to adapt to the style of the captain. As long as the captain is the right fit for the team, your job is to add value to that. Certainly between Kane and Brendon, it was quite different. Different personalities – I guess we had charge of different areas because we had different strengths”, Hesson explained.
Mike Hesson has helped RCB to reach three playoffs during his five-season stint from 2019-2023. He is currently appointed as the coach of Islamabad United, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise which may clash with the upcoming IPL season.
Nonetheless, RCB will start their IPL 2025 campaign against KKR on March 22.
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