BENGALURU: Nine months after a homecoming that ended in tragedy, Royal Challengers Bangalore returned to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday for the start of the season. indian premier leaguestarting March 28.When the RCB contingent arrived at around 4.30pm, a small but loud crowd of fans gathered outside the stadium to welcome the players. The meeting lasted two hours but ended early at 6:30 pm due to rain.
As expected, the spotlight has turned on Virat Kohli. When the session began, Kohli and the head coach huddled together in the team and the former captain was immediately in rhythm. Andy Flower Addressing the partially assembled squad.Skipper Rajat Patidar is the most notable absentee and is expected to join on Thursday. batting coach Dinesh Karthik is also missing, while left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, who was retained for Rs 5 crore and faces criminal charges, is also absent. Of the players recruited overseas, only England goalkeeper Jordan Cox has arrived so far.However, TOI has learned that director of cricket Maubo Bhatt and the logistics team have made travel plans for overseas players in advance to ensure minimal disruption amid the ongoing unrest in West Asia.Amid the noise of construction work inside the stadium, Kohli’s bat made the loudest noise. His trademark lofted drives crossed the midfield boundary many times and penetrated deep into the stands.Kohli trained with Karnataka captain and left-hander Devdutt Padikkal, with the two taking turns against pace and spin. Interestingly, RCB have done away with the net bowlers in this tournament and are instead relying on their own bowling unit and sidearm specialists.The 37-year-old seemed particularly confident against spin, confidently taking on the spin attack led by Krunal Pandya. He showed similar intent against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and new recruit Venkatesh Iyer, maintaining intensity throughout.RCB, who are back at the Bengaluru venue after a bit of a grind, will take on south side Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. They will play four more home games at the venue and two games at Raipur.
Unboxing event canceled
The series’ popular “Unbox” events – fan engagement events that have attracted huge crowds in recent seasons – will not take place this year.Although it has not been officially announced, a tight schedule and simulated training planned at the stadium from March 23 to 26 appear to have led to the decision.
