The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, is yet to renew contracts with head coach Sanjay Bangar and Director of cricket operations Mike Hesson after the conclusion of the 2023 season. Despite reaching the IPL finals three times, RCB finished in sixth place during the 2023 season, winning seven out of 14 games.
Typically, contract renewals occur before September each year. The franchise recently stated that they are currently in the process of review and will announce any changes officially.
According to a statement by RCB, “Their contract with RCB is still intact. The team is still under the process of review. We will come back if any announcement on the changes in the team,” as reported by ESPN Cricinfo.
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Mike Hesson, a New Zealand cricket coach, joined Bangalore in August 2019 after the franchise overhauled its coaching staff following a last-place finish. Meanwhile, Sanjay Bangar took over as head coach ahead of the 2022 season when Simon Katich stepped down.
During Mike Hesson’s tenure, RCB finished fourth in the IPL 2020 season, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator, and secured a third-place finish in 2021, only to be defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Eliminator. In the 2022 season, RCB finished fourth after winning the Eliminator but lost to the Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2023.
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Recently, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) replaced Andy Flower as head coach with Justin Langer. If RCB also decides to part ways with Hesson, it could potentially lead to changes in the support staff of the RCB women’s team as well. Hesson had also served as the director of cricket for the RCB Women’s team during the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL). However, the Smriti Mandhana-led side finished fourth out of five teams in the WPL, with just two wins and six defeats.
The future of Sanjay Bangar and Mike Hesson’s roles with RCB remains uncertain, and fans eagerly await an official announcement from the franchise regarding their coaching staff for the upcoming seasons.
