RCB has replaced ‘Bangalore’ in their team name with the city’s official name, Bengaluru.
The change was unveiled during the franchise’s UNBOX event at the M. Chinna Swamy Stadium on Tuesday (March 19).
The team, formerly known as Royal Challengers Bangalore since the inception of the tournament in 2008, will now go by the name Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The franchise had teased a potential name change through promotional campaigns on social media in the week leading up to the event.
Notably, local fans had been advocating for the incorporation of ‘Bengaluru’ for some time after the capital city of Karnataka officially adopted the vernacular name on November 1, 2014.
RCB is not the first IPL team to undergo a name change.
Three years ago, Kings XI Punjab rebranded to Punjab Kings, while Delhi transformed from Daredevils to Capitals following an investment from the JSW Group.
Even earlier, the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant dropped the ‘s’ at the end of their name ahead of their second and final season in the league.
During the event, the franchise honored the champions of the Women’s T20 Challenge, with the women’s team receiving a guard of honor from the men’s team.
Led by winning captain Smriti Mandhana, the squad paraded around the ground with the trophy, eliciting rapturous cheers from the near-capacity crowd.
Additionally, RCB inducted Karnataka legend and former player Vinay Kumar into the franchise’s Hall of Fame.
Vinay, who played five seasons for RCB, had his standout performance in 2013, claiming 23 wickets at an average of 21.43.
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