Watch: RCB men's team gives guard of honour to Smriti Mandhana-led WPL champions

The women’s brigade of Royal Challengers Bangalore received a guard of honour from their male counterparts at the RCB Unbox event where the franchise celebrated its maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) title.

On Tuesday, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium witnessed a sea of fans, who were in attendance to show their support for Smriti Mandhana and Co. The excitement was evident among the crowd, who had waited for 16 years to celebrate a title-winning moment. The event also featured a brief practice session of the RCB men’s team, who are gearing up for a new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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Apart from the WPL champions, Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and other members of the IPL side were present at the event. Led by Smriti Mandhana, the women’s squad graciously entered the ground, with the “RCB…RCB” chants echoing from every part of the stadium.

🏆 Guard of honour by the RCB men's team for their champion women's. Great gesture by @RCBTweets.#RCBChampions #RCBUnbox #RCB #IPL #BharatArmy pic.twitter.com/iHZLy2bcYy

— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) March 19, 2024

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Kohli, who has been associated with the franchise since 2008, seemed to be on cloud nine. The Indian batting icon accompanied his teammates to give a guard of honour to the RCB women.

Sharing some glimpses of the special moment, the franchise wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “This is wholesome! Our boys greeted the champions with a guard of honour, and the girls paid tribute to the 12th Man Army’s unconditional support with a victory lap.”

This is wholesome! 🥹

Our boys greeted the champions with a guard of honour, and the girls paid tribute to the 12th Man Army’s unconditional support with a victory lap. 🫡🏆#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #WPL2024 #RCBUnbox pic.twitter.com/Dd8gYeFVIY

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 19, 2024

The RCB women’s team’s triumph is a reversal from a disastrous opening season where they finished in the second-last spot. The second season witnessed a remarkable show. RCB progressed to the Playoffs as the third team and knocked out reigning champions Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator.

RCB defeated Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in a low-scoring final to claim the title. Despite her groundbreaking achievement, captain Smriti Mandhana feels it’s not right to undermine the efforts of Virat Kohli, who has yet to lift a trophy with RCB.

During a media interaction, the Indian women’s team star said, “The title is one thing, but what he (Kohli) has achieved for India is remarkable. So, I don’t think that comparison is right in terms of where my career is and what he has already achieved. The reason why I do not like the comparison is that what he has achieved is great; he has been an inspirational person. A title does not define a lot of things; we all respect him and I feel like the respect has to be right up there for Virat.”

The Bengaluru-based franchise also unveiled a new jersey at the RCB Unbox event. The name of the team was also changed as it will now be known as ‘Royal Challengers Bengaluru’. Faf du Plessis-led RCB will kickstart their IPL campaign this year with a big-ticket clash against MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on 22 March.