WESTLAND BOOKS has announced the acquisition of The RCB Story, a book chronicling the 18-year journey of the IPL franchise, under its sports imprint, Westland Sport. Written by journalists Saurabh Somani and Shashank Kishore, the book is slated for release later this year.
Drawing on the authors’ reporting experience and insight into cricket and its ecosystem, the book traces RCB’s path through its highs and lows to its eventual IPL title triumph last year, capturing the emotional arc of the franchise.
RCB’s women’s team, which also commands strong fan support, is led by Indian batter Smriti Mandhana. Under her captaincy, the side has won the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title twice, in 2024 and 2026, just four years after the league’s inception.
According to Karthika VK, publisher at Westland Books, RCB is among the franchises most deserving of its own narrative, and she believes there could be no better writers to tell it. “Both Saurabh and Shashank have lived and breathed cricket for years now, and know exactly where the story lies. I’m delighted to be publishing it in the Westland Sport imprint,” she said.
“RCB is unique in sporting history. The franchise was enthralling to us as fans, fascinating as journalists, and intriguing as chroniclers. The women have won two titles in four years. The men kept building teams of champion players for 17 years, until they found a champion team in year 18. This is the story of those 18 years,” the authors said in a statement.
