Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (PTI Photo) IPL 2026 is set to begin on March 28 when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Ahead of the start, Virat Kohli has already hit the training ground, with clips of his smooth swing from the practice sessions going viral on social media and creating excitement among fans. The former India captain heads into the season on the back of three consecutive 600-plus campaigns and is once again expected to play a key role in RCB’s title defence.In a video shared by the franchise on X, Kohli was also seen addressing the team and urging them to maintain the intensity and build on last season’s success.
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IPL 2026 should be an audition for India’s next T20I captain “We’ve worked really hard in the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year and it’s only going to get tougher because other teams are going to come hard on us,” Kohli said.“We’re not wasting these days. We’re staying ahead. So, turn it on now. Let’s not waste a minute of every session we’re a part of. We have to give our 120% for these two and a half months. I can see from everyone’s faces that we’re excited enough to be challengers.”RCB enter the new campaign as the reigning champions after securing their first title in 2025 by beating 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 signings and the core group led by Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar.“We’ve had an interesting auction. I think we’ve improved our squad to be quite honest. We’ve brought in some great new additions. Integrating these players into the RCB way, along with some established names led by Virat and Rajat, is an exciting part of building a new team together,” Flower said.
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Kohli will also have a major personal milestone in his sights. The veteran batsman, who has amassed 8,661 runs in 267 IPL matches, including 8 centuries and 63 half-centuries, is closing in on becoming the first player in the league’s history to cross the 9,000-run mark.
