As a sign of respect, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team retired the jerseys of AB de Villiers (17) and Chris Gayle (333) from its roster on Sunday and inducted both into the RCB Hall of Fame. After a three-year absence, RCB made a stunning comeback to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium by giving fans a cracking RCB Unbox 2.0. It is a celebration of the “12th Man Army,” the RCB’s dedicated fan base, who haven’t been able to attend a game at the stadium in the previous three years.
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The RCB full squad practice, a first for the T20, was open to the public and was followed by brand launches for the team. Fans have also seen two cricketers who have become legends for the team, come back to the field – Chris Gayle and Ab de Villiers.
Source: Google
Reactions from Gayle & De Villiers
“First of all, a big thanks to the RCB for inducting me into the Hall of Fame. I have so many fun memories of playing at the Chinnaswamy Stadium for the RCB. It feels like a homecoming for me, and it was a delight for me to reconnect with the team, the players, and above all, the fans. “The RCB, RCB chant will always stay with me,” said Chris Gayle.
“It is a massively touching gesture by RCB to induct me into the Hall of Fame, and it has a very special place in my heart. “I have missed the atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and it was enthralling for me to relieve all those experiences once more during the RCB Unbox,” said AB De Villiers.
Video of the day:
Kohli, ABD & Gayle walking through the stadium with RCB theme song. https://t.co/E2TS7SYuai
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 26, 2023
The stadium was packed to the rafters with live music beats by Sonu Nigam and Jason Derulo, followed by the arrival of Virat Kohli, Faf Du Plessis, ABD, and Chris Gayle, who were greeted with thundering cheers and the iconic chant, – RCB, RCB.
Source: Google
RCB captain Faf du Plessis Response
“I am quite excited to welcome back fans to the stadium after 3 years. It was such an exhilarating experience to practice in front of some amazing fans as part of the RCB Unbox. It was also thrilling to welcome back AB and Chris for their special day, and it was awesome to feel the energy,” said RCB captain Faf du Plessis.
RCB will start their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season with a match against Mumbai Indians (MI) at their home stadium, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.