RCB change Bangalore to Bengaluru in team name
RCB have replaced the anglicised’ Bangalore’ in their team name with the city’s official name Bengaluru. The change was revealed during the franchise’s UNBOX event at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday (March 19). The team, called Royal Challengers Bangalore since the start of the competition in 2008, has been renamed Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The franchise had been teasing a name change through promotional campaigns on social media in the week building up to the event. As a matter of fact, the incorporation of’ Bengaluru’ had been clamoured for by local supporters for some time today after the capital city of Karnataka officially adopted the more vernacular name on November one, 2014.
The RCB team name has not been the first to be changed by an IPL team. Kings XI Punjab changed to Punjab Kings three years ago while Delhi changed from Daredevils to Capitals following JSW Group’s investment in the franchise. The former Rising Pune Supergiant club omitted an’s’ from their name prior to their second and last season in the league, even before their disbandment.
WPL champions felicitated, Vinay Kumar inducted to RCB Hall of Fame
The men’s team and the women’s team of the franchise, who were recently WPL Champions, shared a guard of honour during a ceremony that included song, dance and a jersey launch. The winning captain Smriti Mandhana then led her squad on a victory lap around the ground with the trophy in tow to rapturous cheers from a near capacity crowd.
During the ceremony, RCB also inducted Karnataka legend and former player Vinay Kumar into the franchise’s hall of fame. Vinay played 5 seasons for RCB with his best season being in 2013 when he grabbed twenty three wickets at 21.43.