Virat Kohli lands in Bengaluru ahead of RCB’s title defense in IPL 2026; video goes viral

With less than 10 days left for the commencement of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have been boasted with ace Indian batter Virat Kohli’s presence. Days prior to IPL 2026, Virat Kohli on Wednesday, March 18 landed in Bengaluru after last being in the subcontinent for the ODI series against New Zealand in January 2026.

In the videos going viral on social media, Kohli can be seen arriving amid tight security with airport authorities and the security personnel accompanying him. The 37-year-old as usual aced his look, wearing a blue sweatshirt with black trackpants and a cap to complete his look. Moreover, the franchise also teased his return as they captioned a post, “You don’t have to see him… to know he’s coming! Check the calendar. There will be signs…”

Virat Kohli to play crucial role in RCB’s title defense in IPL 2026

With the fans waiting for much-anticipated return of IPL, Kohli will play a key role in RCB’s title defense in IPL 2026. The 37-year-old was instrumental in the franchise’s title-winning campaign in 2025, amassing 657 runs at a strike rate of 144.71 and an average of 54.75 as they ended their 17-year-wait for the prestigious trophy. Moreover, Kohli’s presence is key especially knowing that the cricketer has put curtains on his T20I and Test cricket career and continues to feature in ODIs only.

Speaking of RCB’s IPL 2026 campaign, with BCCI releasing the schedule of the first phase of the tournament, RCB will kickstart their tournament on March 28 at their home turf in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. They will then host five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings on April 5 followed by two away games – against Rajasthan Royals on April 10, followed by one against Mumbai Indians on April 12.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2026 Squad

Batters: Rajat Patidar (Captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Jordan Cox

All-rounders: Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanish Chouhan

Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Yash Dayal.

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