Having lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) title for the first time last year, Virat Kohli appears hungrier for more, as the former skipper got straight down to business after landing in Bengaluru in the early hours of Wednesday. Kohli, who currently resides in the United Kingdom, arrived in India at around 4 AM and headed directly to his first training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Having already retired from T20Is and Tests, Kohli only features in ODI cricket for India. That gives him ample time to recover and rejuvenate ahead of a gruelling two-month IPL season. With the kind of fitness Kohli possesses even at 37 and a lot less cricket nowadays, Kohli would be hungrier than ever to reclaim the IPL crown this year.
The former India captain didn't waste much time. After landing in Bengaluru, Kohli sent a strong message to the whole RCB community. “Every time I wear this jersey, I’m all in. Ready for another special chase," Kohli said in a video released by RCB. He finished by reminding us, “same chapter, new story.”
RCB captioned the video, "Time passed. Seasons changed. And our love for the Only True King only grows stronger by the day. Our Virat Kohli returns to where he belongs, his home, Bengaluru, for a new story. So, 12th Man Army! We ready for No. 18’s Season 19?”
How does RCB squad look like for IPL 2026?
While the franchise retained the core from last season, it roped in eight players during the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi last year. Among the notable ones were former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who fetched ₹7 crore, and Jacob Duffy. The New Zealand pacer, who played in the T20 World Cup 2026 final, was bought by RCB for ₹2 crore.
RCB full squad for IPL 2026
Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, and Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jacob Duffy, Satwik Deswal, Jordan Cox, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan, Vicky Ostwal.
RCB's IPL 2026 schedule in the first phase
Due to the assembly elections in some states, the IPL Governing Council released the schedule for the first phase, with RCB taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on 28 March.
The Rajat Patidar-led side will then host Chennai Super Kings at the same venue on 5 April before travelling to Guwahati for their third fixture against Rajasthan Royals on 10 April. RCB conclude their first phase on 12 April against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.
