IPL 2026 is set to begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Ahead of the opener, Virat Kohli has already hit the training ground, with clips of his fluent strokeplay from practice sessions doing the rounds on social media and generating excitement among fans. The former India captain heads into the season on the back of three successive 600-plus run campaigns and is expected to once again play a pivotal role in RCB’s title defence.In a video shared by the franchise on X, Kohli was also seen addressing the squad, urging them to maintain intensity and build on last season’s success.
“We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it’s only going to get tougher because the other teams are going to come hard at us,” Kohli said.“We don’t waste these days. We stay ahead. So, switch on now. Let’s not waste even a minute of every session we are part of. We must give our 120% for these two and a half months. I can see from everyone’s faces that we are excited enough to be challengers.”RCB enter the new campaign as reigning champions after clinching their maiden title in 2025, when they edged past Punjab Kings by six runs in the final in Ahmedabad.Looking ahead, head coach Andy Flower expressed confidence in the squad assembled at the auction, highlighting both the fresh additions and the core group led by Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar.“We had an interesting auction. I think we’ve improved our squad, to be quite frank. We brought in some great new additions. Integrating those players into the RCB way, alongside some of the established names led by Virat and Rajat, is an exciting part of building a new team together,” Flower said.Kohli will also have a significant personal milestone in sight. The veteran batter, who has amassed 8,661 runs in 267 IPL matches, including eight centuries and 63 half-centuries, is closing in on becoming the first player in the league’s history to breach the 9,000-run mark.
