Richard Halsall on RCB’s IPL 2025 Focus | IPL 2025 RCB

Richard Halsall on RCB’s Fielding Focus: “Few Hiding Places in T20 Cricket”

Richard Halsall: The Man Behind RCB's Fielding Revolution

Bengaluru, May 20, 2025 – As Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) gear up for their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 playoff campaign, fielding coach Richard Halsall has emerged as one of the silent architects of their journey. While the glamour of T20 cricket often revolves around power hitting and pace bowling, Halsall fondly known as “Stick” within the camp believes that fielding in T20 cricket is no longer a side story, but a match-defining discipline.

In a candid conversation with RCB media ahead of their playoff match, Halsall opened up on how T20 cricket fielding has evolved into a critical skill, driven by athleticism, innovation, and intent. “Fielding is the area of the game that probably gets talked about the least. But in T20 cricket now, there are very few hiding places,” he said, reflecting on how the game’s fast pace demands split-second decisions and pinpoint execution. “You’re trying to shorten that moment of fear or panic when the ball’s coming at you. That ability comes only through focused training,” he added.

With every fumble costing runs and every catch becoming a potential game-changer, Halsall’s message is clear: fielding is no longer just a drill it’s an identity.

Fielding in T20: More Than Just Drills

Halsall, who has been associated with top teams across international and franchise cricket, brings a mindset that fuses traditional discipline with modern athletic demands. “The biggest impact has been the rise in physicality. You do not get outstanding fielders without it,” he explained. According to him, today’s players not only train harder but also find inspiration in athletes from other sports, be it football, hockey, or tennis.

One of his more innovative coaching moves was the use of a bowling machine in fielding drills, something he adapted from field hockey. “In hockey, they use machines to replicate the kind of power goalkeepers face. I thought why not in cricket?” he said. Traditional fielding drills using human throwers had limitations. With the machine, consistency in replicating high-speed throws meant better muscle memory and sharper reflexes.

It is these creative methods combined with an unflinching focus on players’ personal development that have made Halsall a highly respected figure in the RCB set-up.

Kohli, Pandey, Agarwal: India’s Fielding Stalwarts

As someone who has worked with a wide range of cricketers across formats and generations, Halsall has seen fielding cultures evolve first-hand. Among Indian cricketers, he was quick to praise Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, and Mayank Agarwal for their commitment to excellence in the field. “They all have different strengths, but there’s a joy to their fielding,” he shared. That joy a mix of anticipation, aggression, and athletic finesse is what defines the best fielders today.

Halsall believes that good fielding isn’t about just saving boundaries or hitting bullseyes. It’s about presence. “Viv Richards changed how I saw fielding. Just his presence on a cricket field was sensational. Watching him run Australians out in a World Cup final that was something else,” he recalled with admiration.

For Halsall, that ‘presence’ the energy a fielder brings into the game often tips the psychological edge in a contest.

Inside the RCB Camp: Trust, Creativity, and Character

Richard Halsall’s journey into cricket coaching began not in the nets, but in the classroom. A teacher by training, Halsall’s coaching philosophy is built on empathy and adaptability. “If you need someone to throw, I can throw. If you need help with bowling or analysis, I can do that too,” he said. That ability to do a little bit of everything with care and commitment is what endears him to players.

RCB’s Director of Cricket Mo Bobat, who worked with Halsall and head coach Andy Flower across teams, calls him an irreplaceable asset. “Richard brings both reliability and challenge to the set-up. Andy is someone who values strong thinkers around him, and Richard certainly adds to that. He challenges convention, and he really cares,” Bobat said.

Bobat emphasized Halsall’s qualities that go beyond just technical skill his creativity, his player-first approach, and his unconventional thinking have been vital to the team’s preparation across departments.

The Impact of Fielding in RCB’s IPL 2025 Campaign

RCB’s journey to the IPL 2025 playoffs has been built on more than just their batting firepower or bowling breakthroughs. In several tight games this season, RCB’s fielding has turned matches be it a diving stop on the ropes by Kohli, a direct-hit from Mahipal Lomror, or boundary-saving athleticism by Glenn Maxwell. The team’s improved fielding standards reflect Halsall’s influence behind the scenes.

In an era where T20 games are often decided in the last few balls, Halsall believes the smallest margins often fielding-related can have the biggest consequences. “We’re not training for applause. We’re training to win games,” he said.

As RCB look to break their title drought, Halsall’s philosophy fielding with intent, precision, and purpose might just prove to be the difference when it matters most.