Star batter Virat Kohli has started his preparations for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, taking part in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) training session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. During the nets, Kohli faced Bhuvneshwar Kumar, setting up a contest within the squad ahead of the new season.
A video from the session showed Bhuvneshwar beating Kohli with a yorker that almost hit the stumps. Another clip showed Kohli responding with a six off the same bowler.
RCB go into the season as defending champions after winning their first IPL title in 2025. Led by Rajat Patidar, the team ended a long wait for the trophy by beating Punjab Kings in the final. The franchise now aims to build on that result, with the men’s team looking to match the success achieved by the RCB women’s side.
RCB will open the 19th edition of the IPL on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue will host five of their home matches this season. The side will rely on its experienced group, including Kohli, Bhuvneshwar and Devdutt Padikkal, as they look to begin their campaign strongly.
Bhuvneshwar is expected to play a key role, especially in the death overs. Since joining RCB before the 2025 season, he has taken 17 wickets in 14 matches. His economy rate was 9.29, while his average stood at 28.41.
Kohli comes into the tournament after a strong run in international cricket, even though he is currently playing only ODI cricket for India. The 37-year-old scored 302 runs against South Africa and 240 against New Zealand recently. Across those six matches, he registered three centuries and maintained a higher strike rate.
