Royal Challengers Bangalore unveils new logo

The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) unveiled their new logo on Friday. 

Speculation was rife that the Bengaluru team will change its name after its social media accounts went dark two days ago. While the profile picture was removed from its official Twitter handle, the RCB removed all posts from its Instagram account. 

The team ended the suspense on Friday by posting a new logo on social media. "This is it. The moment you have been waiting for. New Decade, New RCB, New Logo! #Play Bold," the club announced on Twitter. 

Explaining the design of the new logo, the RCB said in a statement: "The redesigned logo with the majestic lion illustrates and brings alive RCB's philosophy, a bold and fearless attitude of playing exciting cricket. It balances the simplicity and 'iconicity' of the lion to create the next chapter for one of India's most iconic sports team. The visual identity embodies the bold pride and challenger spirit, qualities that each RCB team members bring to the team."

Sanjeev Churiwala, chairman, RCB, said: "The idea behind the design of the new brand identity to give our rampant lion a contemporary makeover. The elements in the logo is a commitment to continuously entertain and engage with fans who are the force behind Royal Challengers Bangalore. We believe a change in identity for the club was necessary to effectively live and breathe the vision and celebrate the passion for cricket and playing bold."

RCB, captained by Virat Kohli, are yet to win a title. In 12 editions of the IPL, they have reached the final three times.