Virat Kohli. (Photo File) Former Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers has backed Virat Kohli as a key figure in the franchise, saying his role goes beyond runs and continues to influence the team.RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The team enters the season after winning last year’s first title.
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IPL 2026 should be an audition for India’s next T20I captain “Virat is definitely still the heart of the franchise. Not only with his performances and consistency with the bat over the years, but also with his presence and the energy he brings to the team. The way he carries himself on and off the field, always fighting for the team, stands out. He brings that energy and makes the youngsters believe that they can eventually go on and win the trophy last year,” said Ji VCB de VCB, deHotstarli, he said. quoted by the IANS news agency.De Villiers said the difference last season was the contribution from more players instead of relying on a few.“What I liked about last season, yes, he was one of the main run-scorers in the team, as is usually the case, but there were other players who stepped in. In the past, RCB have often been guilty of relying on consistent performances from just two, three or four players. This time, I felt the whole team stepped up,” he added.Referring to the IPL 2025 final where RCB won their first title, he pointed out the role played by others in the batting line-up.“The final is a great example of Virat scoring 43, run out 35 balls. But really it was Patidar, Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd who scored with high knocks and helped the team post 190-plus and eventually win the match. Krunal Pandya also chipped in with the ball.”He said the team now has better support around Kohli.“That’s my opinion, the players are contributing so much during the season and the bowling attack is stepping up. Virat feels it; he feels he’s not the only one carrying the burden anymore. He’s got a team of fighters around him who are all trying to win the trophy. I think they’re in a really good place. It’s a similar team, he believes everyone could and didn’t have to change much this season,” he said. he said.
