RCB change Bangalore to Bengaluru in team name

B FOR BENGALURU

B for Bengaluru.

RCB have officially replaced the 'Bangalore' in their team name with the city's official name Bengaluru, it was confirmed during the franchise's UNBOX event at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The team, called Royal Challengers Bangalore since the inception of the tournament in 2008, will now be called 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. In fact, the incorporation of 'Bengaluru' had been clamoured for by local fans for a while now after the capital city of Karnataka adopted the more vernacular 'Bengaluru' name on November 1, 2014.

RCB are not the first IPL team to change their team name. Kings XI Punjab changed to Punjab Kings two years ago while Delhi changed from Daredevils to Capitals following JSW Group's investment in the franchise. Even earlier, the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant team dropped an 's' from their name ahead of their second and final season in the league.

WPL champions felicitated, Vinay Kumar inducted to RCB Hall of Fame

In a ceremony marked by song, dance and jersey launch, the franchise's women's team, recently crowned WPL Champions, were given a guard of honour by the men's team. 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.

RCB also inducted Karnataka legend and former player of the franchise Vinay Kumar into their hall of fame. Vinay played five seasons for the franchise with his best season coming in 2013, where he claimed 23 wickets at 21.43.