IPL: Royal Challengers Bangalore officially renamed to Royal Challengers Bengaluru

BENGALURU: The Royal Challengers Bangalore officially changed their name to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday, as confirmed during the franchise’s Unbox event at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

RCB officially replaced ‘Bangalore’ in their team name with the city’s official name, Bengaluru.

The franchise confirmed the news on its social media handles, along with a new logo, ahead of the upcoming season of the tournament. The RCB Unbox event, held at Bengaluru’s famous M Chinnaswamy Stadium, not only recognised the achievements of both the men’s and women’s teams but also presented the franchise’s critical rebranding initiative.

The team, known as Royal Challengers Bangalore from the tournament’s start in 2008, will now be called Royal Challengers Bengaluru. At the Unbox event, RCB unveiled their new IPL 2024 jersey in red and blue.

In the week leading up to the event, the franchise teased a name change using social media promotional activities. In fact, local fans have been clamouring for the adoption of ‘Bengaluru’ since November 1, 2014, when the capital city of Karnataka adopted the more colloquial ‘Bengaluru’ moniker. Virat Kohli, captain Faf du Plessis, and Women’s Premier League champion Smriti Mandhana attended the jersey unveiling ceremony at the RCB Unbox event.

RCB isn’t the first IPL team to change its name. Kings XI Punjab changed their name to Punjab Kings two years ago, and Delhi changed from Daredevils to Capitals. Previously, the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant team omitted an ‘s’ from their name ahead of their second and final season in the league.

Moreover, the RCB Unbox 2024 was a spectacle of many events, with the RCB men’s team giving the Smriti Mandhana-led Women’s Premier League 2024 champions a guard of honour during the RCB Unbox event on Tuesday. With an all-rounded performance in all facets of the game, the Royal Challengers Bangalore women’s team lifted the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 trophy on Sunday. During the event, RCB’s men’s team, comprising Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Reece Topley, Mohammed Siraj, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Karn Sharma and many more, gave the women’s team a guard of honour.

Smriti walked away holding the trophy with the rest of the players as the men’s team stars applauded the WPL 2024 champions. The RCB women’s team took a victory lap around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium as fans cheered for the title-winning team. During the victory lap, Smriti was on a video call with star all-rounder Ellyse Perry. At the end of the victory lap, the team also posed with the trophy.

In a video posted by RCB on X (formerly Twitter), Kohli thanked the Royal Challengers Bangalore fans and promised to always be there for RCB. The star batter also stated that he would aim to emulate the women’s team’s achievements and add another trophy to their cabinet.

Talking about the women’s team’s victory and his own future, Kohli said, “Amazing. When they won, we were all watching it and at that point, you realise the fan base in its absolutely purest form. It felt like the city won. The turnout during the games had no comparison. These are special things and it is something you create over a long period of time.”

“If you look at the tournament of the fans during all the games of RCB women’s team played there was no comparison, to be honest. 30,000 people for the finals and a packed stadium when they played here (Chinnaswamy), these are special things that you create over a long period of time and not one or two years. 16 years of loyalty and passion from the fans…that is unwavering,” he added.

Kohli also hailed the Royal Challengers Bangalore women’s team for their historic triumph in the Women’s Premier League final, saying he hopes to follow it up with another title.

“Hopefully we can double it up with the trophies. That’ll be something truly special. I am always going to be here, try to be part of the group that wins it for the first time. I will try my best with my ability and experience to do it for the fans and the franchise. It is a dream of mine as well to know what it feels like to win the IPL,” Kohli said at an RCB Unbox event. (ANI)