BENGALURU: Nine months after a homecoming that ended in tragedy, Royal Challengers Bengaluru returned to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, kicking off preparations. Indian Premier Leaguewhich starts here on March 28.A small but vocal group of fans gathered outside the stadium to welcome the players when the RCB contingent arrived around 4.30 pm. The session lasted for two hours before the rain ended early at 6.30pm.
The spotlight, not surprisingly, was on. Virat Kohli. The former skipper looked instantly in rhythm as the session began with the team huddle, where Kohli and the head coach Andy Flower Addressed the partially assembled contingent.Skipper Rajat Patidar was the most notable absentee and is expected to join on Thursday. Batting coach Dinesh Karthik was also missing, while left-arm fast bowler Yash Dayal, who is retained for Rs 5 crore and is facing criminal charges, was also absent. Among the overseas recruits, only England wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox has come so far.However, TOI has learned that director of cricket Mo Bobat and the logistics team have already made travel plans for the overseas players, ensuring minimal disruption despite the ongoing unrest in West Asia.Amidst the noise of construction work inside the stadium, Kohli’s bat provided the loudest sound. His trademark high stroke repeatedly cleared the midwicket boundary, landing deep into the stands.Kohli trained with the Karnataka captain and southpaw Devdutt Padikal, the pair taking turns against a combination of pace and spin. In an interesting move, RCB did away with the net bowlers for the session, instead relying on their own bowling unit and side-arm specialists.The 37-year-old looked particularly assured against spin, coming out confident against the Krunal Pandya-led spin attack. He showed similar intent against Bhuvneshwar Kumar and new recruit Venkatesh Iyer, keeping the intensity intact.RCB, who have returned to the Bengaluru venue after a long hiatus, will begin their campaign against fellow southerners Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. They will play four more home games at the venue and two in Raipur.
The inbox event has been terminated.
The franchise’s popular ‘unbox’ event – a fan engagement initiative that has drawn huge crowds in recent seasons – will not be held this year.Although no official announcement has been made, it seems that the tight schedule and mock practices scheduled at the stadium on March 23 and 26 led to the decision.
