Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli and company practice in front of fans at Chinnaswamy

Ahead of their first match in the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League, Royal Challengers Bangalore players were spotted training in front of the home crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Skipper Faf du Plessis along with Virat Kohli and many others were spotted during multiple drills and exercises before hitting the field.

Notably, the fans were welcomed as a part of the unboxing event that the franchise is hosting this time around. In this event, they will also honour two of their biggest stars in history in the form of AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. The duo will be inducted into the RCB hall of fame and the franchise has also decided to retire their jersey numbers (17 and 333 respectively).

RCB deal with multiple setbacks ahead of IPL 2023

As per several reports, top-order batter Rajat Patidar could miss the first half of the upcoming season owing to a heel injury. He is undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and has joined the RCB squad for the unboxing event. Now, the team is yet to announce his medical update but it is expected that he might miss at least the first six to seven matches.

On the other hand, there are some serious doubts regarding Aussie quick Josh Hazlewood. The 32-year-old is yet to recover from Achilles tendonitis and thus, is yet to join the training. Hence, ahead of the season, the team is dealing with quite a few setbacks at the moment.

However, the list goes on as Wanindu Hasaranga is expected to miss a few games because of his international commitments.

The all-rounder is currently in New Zealand for a white-ball series against Black Caps and will joint the squad upon completion of the same in the second week of April. Meanwhile, the franchise will host Mumbai Indians in their first game of the season on April 2.

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