Former Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers has supported Virat Kohli As a key figure in the franchise, saying his role extends beyond runs and continues to impact the team.RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The team will enter the season after winning their first title last year.
“Virat is definitely still the heartbeat of the franchise. Not only through his performance and the consistency he has gained with the bat over the years, but also through his presence and energy he brings to the squad. The way he conducts himself on and off the field, always fighting for the team, is outstanding. He brings that energy and gives the youngsters confidence that they can win at RC. What was last year,” de Villiers told JioHotstar, as This was reported by the news agency IANS.De Villiers said that the difference last season was the contribution of many players instead of relying on a few players.“What I liked about last season, yes, he was one of the main run-scorers in the team, as openers usually are, but there were other players who stepped up. In the past, RCB were often guilty of relying on just two, three or four players who were performing consistently. This time, I felt the whole team was involved.”Referring to the IPL 2025 final, where RCB won their first title, he pointed to the role of others in the batting line-up.“The final is a perfect example, with Virat scoring 43 off 35 balls. But it was actually Patidar, Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Romario Shepherd who scored at a high strike rate and helped the team eventually win the game after 190-plus. Krunal Pandya was also brilliant with the ball.”He said that the team now has better support around Kohli.“That’s my point, the players have been contributing like that all season, and the bowling attack is growing. Virat can feel it; he can feel that he’s not just a burden-bearer anymore. He’s got a bunch of fighters around him, who are all trying to win trophies. I think they’re in a really good place. It’s such a squad, they have a lot of reasons to change, and they have a lot to change. again this coming season,” he said.
