Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Virat Kohli will be hungrier than ever to win back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) titles. Kohli clinched his first IPL trophy as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
as a result Kohli’s 18-year wait for the elusive trophy is finally overas he tasted victory for the first time after being linked with RCB since the opening season. After his maiden triumph, Pathan believes Kohli will enter the new season with the same passion and will look to replicate his team’s success from the previous campaign.
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“The hunger in Virat Kohli will be there. In fact, he will be hungrier than ever, especially after lifting the IPL trophy last season. He will want to win back-to-back IPL trophies. That hunger in him to win and make an impact will always be there. We saw it when he played for India, especially in the one-day series against South Africa in every match. I think he will have an impact like he did in New Zealand. The same kind of passion when he plays in this season, he will want to lift the trophy again,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was recently spotted hitting the nets ahead of IPL 2026. The Indian batting great is putting in the heavy yards early as the tournament approaches. In a video shared on his Instagram handle, Kohli was seen working on a wide range of shots.
When will IPL 2026 start?
From aggressive lofted hits to classic drives, he was put through his paces alongside the throwdown specialist. Meantime, RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the season opener on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The franchise will play five league matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium this season and will also use the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur as a second home venue to host two league matches.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
12 March 2026 16:40 IST
