"This RCB team is different" - Former Australia captain praises new management for moving away from 'superstar culture' 

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke senses something different with the newly-assembled Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) compared with the squads from the past, which largely banked on superstar players. The three-time finalists retained only three players after the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), and focused on impact players rather than big names at the mega auction that followed.

The franchise also have a new captain in Rajat Patidar after Faf du Plessis was among the names that were released after the 2024 season. A new roster barring a few familiar names, largely devised to meet the demands of the modern game, and solve the home ground dilemma, promises a fresh outlook in what is a reset button for the team.

Michael Clarke opined that RCB have made a concrete effort to shy away from the superstar culture through the players they have picked at the auction.

"This RCB team is different. Our minds are still thinking about the time when they had AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, and the other superstars. Generally in team sports, it is not about the superstars. It is about how you gel as a team," Michael Clarke said on Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast.

RCB are scheduled to play the IPL 2025 opener against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday, March 22 at the Eden Gardens,

"I think this season will be very different" - Michael Clarke backs home crowd to rally behind MI and Hardik Pandya in IPL 2025

MI had a harrowing IPL 2024 season, finishing bottom of the table. Apart from their below-par on-field displays, the franchise were the target of speculation and abuse following the radical decision to replace Rohit Sharma as the captain with Hardik Pandya.

Clarke, however, feels that all of those incidents are in the past. He added that Pandya's determination, shown throughout Team India's victorious campaigns in the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, has won the fans over.

"It was chaos last season because of the change of captain. It was hard to be there because Rohit Sharma used to get cheered, and everyone wanted him to be the captain. Pandya was booed by the home fans, and it was hard to watch, to be honest. I think this season will be very different. I think the respect has been earned in regards to Hardik. The way he continued to show up and cop that last year deserves a lot of credit for that," Clarke said.

MI will begin their IPL 2025 campaign with a clash against their arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.