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