IPL 2024

IPL 2026: RCB comes up with heartwarming post as Virat Kohli joins camp for title defence

By Samira Vishwas

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans finally got the moment they had been waiting for – Virat Kohli is back. The star batter arrived in Bengaluru ahead of IPL 2026 and joined the RCB camp, officially kickstarting the franchise’s title defence. For the fans, it wasn’t just another arrival; it felt like the return of a king to his kingdom.

RCB welcomes King Kohli

RCB, known for its creative social media presence, made sure Kohli’s comeback was anything but ordinary. Teasing his arrival, the franchise posted: “You don’t have to see him… to know he’s coming! Check the calendar. There will be signs… #PlayBold RCB #IPL2026.”

And almost instantly, those “signs” began appearing across the city. From traffic signals flashing the number 18 – Kohli’s iconic jersey – to fans gathering outside key locations hoping for a glimpse, Bengaluru buzzed with excitement. It was a reminder of the deep bond between Kohli and the city, built over nearly two decades of loyalty and passion.

This return carries even more emotion because, for the first time, Kohli steps back into the Chinnaswamy Stadium as an IPL champion. After years of near-misses and heartbreaks, the long wait ended in 2025, and now he returns not just as a legend – but as a title winner aiming for more.

Kohli hits the nets, eyes milestones and another big IPL season

It didn’t take long for Kohli to get into the groove. Soon after arriving, he was seen training at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in a session that lasted nearly two hours before rain brought it to a close. Sharing the nets with Devdutt PadikkalKohli looked sharp, confident and in control.

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Interestingly, RCB opted for an in-house training setup, using their own bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Venkatesh Iyer instead of external net bowlers. It added a more match-like intensity to the session, allowing players to prepare in realistic scenarios.

Kohli comes into IPL 2026 on the back of a stellar previous season, where he scored 657 runs in 15 innings, finishing as RCB’s top run-scorer. His composed knock in the final played a crucial role in guiding the team to their historic title win.

Now, as he gears up for another campaign, several milestones are within reach. Already the highest run-scorer in IPL history, Kohli is closing in on the 9,000-run mark – an achievement no player has reached before. Beyond that, he is also inching closer to becoming the first cricketer to score 10,000 T20 runs for a single franchise, a testament to his unmatched loyalty to RCB.

There’s also a bigger global milestone on the horizon. With over 13,500 runs in T20 cricket, Kohli is not far from joining the elite 14,000-run club – placing him among the all-time greats of the format.

As RCB prepare to open their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28, the focus will firmly be on Kohli – not just for his runs, but for the energy and belief he brings to the side.

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