Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are all set to defend their title as they returned to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to kick off preparations for IPL 2026.
Also read: IPL 2026 schedule
RCB will open their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the first day of the season, on March 28, at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
What Kohli said
Addressing the team during the first practice session of the season, Virat Kohli said, “We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it’s only going to get tougher because other teams are going to come hard at us.”
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Emphasising the need to maintain high standards from the outset, he added, “We don’t waste these days. We stay ahead. So switch on now. Let’s not waste even a minute of any session that we are a part of. We must give our 120 per cent for these two and a half months.”
‘Interesting auction’
The session also marked the coming together of a reinforced squad, with Head Coach Andy Flower welcoming new additions including Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal and Satvik Deswal, while also extending a special mention to Under-19 World Cup winners Kanishk Chouhan and Vihaan Malhotra.
“We had an interesting auction and I think we’ve improved our squad, to be quite frank. We’ve brought in some great new additions. Integrating them into the RCB way alongside established players led by Virat and Rajat is an exciting part of building this team,” said Flower.
“There is one difference this year, we’ve got a star on our shirt. That’s a very proud feeling for all RCB fans. But that season is gone. Now we have a new challenge ahead, and it’s an exciting one. We’re here to win this year’s IPL,” he continued.
Jitesh excited
Reflecting the energy within the group, wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma shared his excitement about joining the setup.
“Everyone was very excited to meet each other. I was excited to get more batting time. I got a chance to meet all the coaches and train again,” he said.
Flower also spoke about the advantage of starting the season at home. “Our first game is here at Chinnaswamy, which is a fantastic opportunity for us to build momentum early and be welcomed by our home fans. The outfield is looking superb, lush, green and beautiful.”
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