Royal Challengers Bengaluru Debuts New Name Ahead of IPL Season Opener
The Royal Challengers Bangalore are undergoing a name change, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise officially becoming the Royal Challengers Bengaluru effective immediately. This marks the first time the team has altered its name since its inception in 2008.
The announcement came Tuesday following an event held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The event saw prominent figures associated with the franchise in attendance, including star players Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, recently crowned Women’s Premier League (WPL) champion Smriti Mandhana, and representatives from both the men’s and women’s teams.
During the event, RCB also inducted former Indian fast bowler R Vinay Kumar, a Karnataka stalwart, into their Hall of Fame. Last season, the franchise had named legendary batsmen AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle as the inaugural members of this prestigious group.
With the season opener fast approaching, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will waste no time in gearing up for the challenge. They depart for Chennai on Tuesday evening to prepare for their opening encounter against the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, scheduled for March 22nd.
The initial leg of the tournament promises to be a busy one for RCB, with the team playing a joint-highest five matches among all participants.
Following their opening clash, they return to their home ground in Bengaluru for matches against the Punjab Kings (March 25th), Kolkata Knight Riders (March 29th), and Lucknow Super Giants (April 2nd). Their journey then takes them to Jaipur for an away fixture against the Rajasthan Royals on April 6th.
Royal Challengers Bengluru IPL 2024 Squad:
Batsmen: Faf du Plessis (c), Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror, Saurav Chauhan
All-rounders: Karn Sharma, Manoj Bhandage, Mayank Dagar, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Cameron Green, Tom Curran, Swapnil Singh
Bowlers: Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma, Rajan Kumar, Alzarri Joseph, Yash Dayal, Lockie Ferguson
