Virat Kohli lands in Bengaluru for IPL 2026 amid RCB fanfare; internet says ‘the King has arrived to reclaim his throne’

Virat Kohli landed at the Bengaluru airport on Wednesday amid fanfare ahead of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) talisman, returned to his homeland just 10 days before IPL 2026 starts, with the defending champions set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener on March 28.

In a video that went viral, Kohli came out in a blue shirt and black jeans with the security escorting him as a group of lucky fans got a glimpse of of their favourite cricket star. The franchise also shared a teaser of Kohli's homecoming and captioned the post “You don’t have to see him… to know he’s coming! Check the calendar. There will be signs…”

Based on several social media videos, Kohli arrived in Bengaluru at around 4 AM IST on Wednesday. It must be noted that, Kohli, has been residing in United Kingdom for the past couple of years and keeps on visiting India for IPL and national commitments with the Indian team.

Having already retired from Tests and T20Is, Kohli now plays only ODIs for India and was last seen in national colours in January earlier this year, in a three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which India won.

Meanwhile, the fans couldn't keep calm upon Kohli's arrival. “King Kohli arrived in Bengaluru at 4 a.m. for IPL 2026. Virat Kohli is back — ready to roar, dominate, and rule the season,” wrote an user.

“The King has arrived to reclaim his throne once again, and we are all seated to witness him smash the opponents for fun and he could not come at a better day, It’s the 18th day of the month,” said another. "18 march and jersey number 18 is here," another wrote.

How Virat Kohli fared in IPL 2025?

Last season marked a significant chapter in the career of Kohli. After winning the 2011 World Cup, 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup 2024 and multiple Asia Cup titles for the national team, Kohli lifted his maiden IPL silverware when RCB defeated Punjab Kings in the final.

Led by Rajat Patidar, Kohli played a pivotal role in RCB's title-winning campaign with 657 runs at a strike rate of 144.71 and average of 54.75. He had also scored eight half-centuries in IPL 2025.

RCB's IPL 2026 fixtures

Due to the assembly elections in several states, the IPL Governing Council decided to hold the tournament in two phases. Accordingly they released the first set of fixtures, where RCB will play two home and two away games.

The reigning champions take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the campaign opener at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28, followed by another home game on April 5 against Chennai Super Kings.

They play Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians next in two away fixtures on April 10 and April 12.

RCB's IPL 2026 complete squad

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan.