NEW DELHI: Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper
Parthiv Patel
made a startling revelation about the IPL franchise, highlighting the team culture which has always been about individuals rather than fostering a cohesive team environment.
Parthiv shared his thoughts on the franchise's focus during his time with the squad. He mentioned that the team revolved around three key players:
Virat Kohli
,
AB de Villiers
, and
Chris Gayle
.
Parthiv had two separate stints with RCB, first in the 2014 edition of the IPL and then from 2018 to 2020. During his initial stint in 2014, the trio of Kohli, de Villiers and Gayle were at the height of their careers, dominating the opposition with their exceptional batting skills. However, when he returned to the franchise in 2018, Gayle was no longer a part of the team.
"I played for RCB, I've been there for four years. The team is always about individuals, it's not about the team. And then everyone who comes out of that team will say that. Because it's all about Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle when I was in the team," Parthiv said while speaking on the Cyrus Says Podcast.
"So they were given the kind of special preference always so there the team culture was not there. You can see clearly when they are playing, and that is the reason why they haven't won the trophies. That's the fact," Parthiv added.
Parthiv, a former Indian cricket player, represented the RCB in the IPL for three seasons. In 2014, he featured in 12 matches for the team. Subsequently, he played a combined total of 20 games across the 2018 and 2019 editions of the tournament.