Royal Challengers Bengaluru star attraction Virat Kohli is at the peak of his abilities and remains hungry for success in the Indian Premier League, head coach Andy Flower said ahead of the team’s opener against SunRisers Hyderabad.
Speaking ahead of the start of the Indian Premier League 2026, which is scheduled to be played on Saturday, March 28, Flower praised Kohli’s performance in the pre-season camp and said his hitting of the ball into the nets was intact at the start of the season.
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“Virat is in a really good space mentally. He’s very comfortable with himself but he’s still incredibly hungry and watching him bat in practice he looks at the top of his game,” Flower said at Friday’s pre-match press conference in Bengaluru. IPL: Virat Kohli and Phil Salt in RCB practice. (PTI photo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions this season having won the IPL after an 18-year wait. They will be hoping to start the season with a bang, especially as cricket returns to the city after a long time.
The stadium was banned from hosting matches following a stampede incident outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium grounds last June where a total of 11 people died during RCB’s trophy celebrations.
RCB vs SRH: Bengaluru Pitch Conditions
The head coach also talked about the conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and said that RCB do not want a repeat of their early season struggles this time around. In 2025, a sticky wicket at the batsman’s place caused problems and matches at Chinnaswamy proved to be anything but high-scoring affairs.
Flower said the team will evaluate the conditions early this season and play accordingly.
“Last year we lost our first three games at Chinnaswamy and we learned from those experiences. The conditions might be a bit different this time too so we’ll have to judge that. But at your home ground you should understand the nuances of the conditions better than your opponent. We’ve trained here and talked a lot about those aspects so I’d like to think we’ll have a bit of an edge on the opposition on the surface.”
Virat Kohli’s Outstanding IPL 2025 Season
Virat Kohli had an incredible 2025 season, leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first IPL title. The batter was quick out of the blocks and maintained a high strike rate throughout RCB’s title-winning season last year.
What stood out last time was Kohli’s intent inside and outside the over, which helped him score 657 runs at a success rate of 144. He also excelled on tricky surfaces and led the team’s batting order to safe scores in most games.
Since his retirement from Test cricket, which came midway through IPL 2025, Kohli has strengthened his sights on the ODI format – something that could also be part of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League.
Fans are eagerly waiting to see the RCB talisman in action this season.
The opening game of IPL between RCB and SRH will start at 19:30 IST.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
27 March 2026 18:37 IST
