Taking place at Chennai’s iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium, the IPL 2024 season opener followed a glittering opening ceremony held at the same venue. Notably, this match marked RCB’s debut under a new moniker, opting for ‘Bengaluru’ instead of ‘Bangalore’ while retaining their iconic initials.
Ruturaj Gaikwad Takes Charge as Dhoni Bows Out; RCB Opts to Bat in IPL
However, the spotlight was firmly on the changing of the guard as Ruturaj Gaikwad assumed leadership of the five-time champions for the very first time, succeeding the legendary wicketkeeper-captain MS Dhoni, who took the cricketing world by surprise with his decision to step down from captaincy on the eve of the match.
Dhoni, who was widely speculated to have concluded his IPL career last season, left an indelible mark by guiding CSK to their fifth title in a thrilling showdown against the then-defending champions, Gujarat Titans, in the final.
In a significant turn of events, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss, and their skipper Faf du Plessis decided to bat first, citing the pitch’s favorable conditions for batting.
The toss presented a remarkable moment as Ruturaj Gaikwad emerged as the captain of the ‘Yellow Army’ for the very first time, following the monumental decision by MS Dhoni to relinquish his captaincy on the eve of the season opener.