Mumbai: A social media post from London first, of his flowing drives and rasping cuts, followed by practice clips of the man immersed in work at his adopted home – the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Virat Kohli’s batting videos in Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) red have got fans drooling for more. Now that he is back, IPL can’t be far away. RCB will be out to defend their crown.
The champions will be led by Rajat Patidar, but as always the marketing blitz will be led by Kohli. In an inhouse podcast, RCB’s director of cricket Mo Bobat called Kohli the team’s “cultural architect and icon”.
It’s difficult to apportion Kohli’s share in RCB’s brand value. But it would be safe to presume that his popularity would be a huge factor. That can be inferred from reports of RCB’s valuation if the sale goes through, anticipated to be double of what was paid when the last change of hands in the league happened. That for a franchise which hadn’t even tasted title success until last year but topped the viewership and sponsorship charts. All thanks to Kohli mania.
Kohli had a bright IPL 2025, one in which he was the leading run-scorer for the sixth season. But he also lifted his game, finding a higher scoring tempo for most of the tournament – less conservative and placing a lesser premium on his wicket. However, he found himself stuck in the final. As the racy format, freed up further in IPL by the Impact Player rule, gets wilder, there will be more pressure on Kohli and those from his generation to keep pushing the envelope.
It took RCB the entire length of its minor life – IPL goes into its 19th season – before learning to play like a team. The moment they ceased being an exhibition of stars to a well-structured T20 unit, the Bengaluru franchise delivered, though belatedly, in IPL’s summer of turning 18.
The core of that squad is still intact. But so much water has flown in the Cauvery since their crowning night last June that they will need to recreate that chemistry all over again. Because the squad members are on their own before they reassemble annually, that’s been a common challenge. Only twice in IPL history – CSK in 2011 and MI in 2020 – have teams successfully defended the crown.
Add the tragic events outside their M Chinnaswamy Stadium the day after the IPL final in Ahmedabad – 11 people died and over 50 were injured in the stampede – and the impending ownership change, chief coach Andy Flower and his support staff will have plenty to do to ensure unwavering focus.
For a squad so strong that it rallied to victory last season, few among their probable starting 12 featured in the recent T20 World Cup. Phil Salt and Tim David did but only Romario Shephard had some amount of success.
The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya are T20 specialists but don’t play cricket round the year. Skipper Rajat Patidar and Josh Hazlewood (the Aussie speedster is likely to miss early matches) haven’t had it easy with injuries. Little is known about the availability of pacer Yash Dayal, who missed the entire domestic season as he faces legal proceedings over a personal matter. They have roped in Madhya Pradesh’s Mangesh Yadav as backup, but the left-armer is untested on the big stage.
With Kohli, while his desire is always second to none, to excel in a format he plays only from IPL to IPL will be challenging.
If recent form of individuals is the only marker, RCB won’t start favourites. There could therefore be a case of a few new names in the early matches – like Jacob Bethell and Devdutt Padikkal who are carrying strong form across formats.
Form and recency have not been a concern to those in the RCB think tank. Pinning faith on experience, they were happy to take a backseat in last year’s mini auction. Among the top ten most prized players sold, none belonged to RCB. The one big buy they did make was Venkatesh Iyer, who they had chased hard in the auction the year before, but failed. In KKR’s purple, Venkatesh had become a test case of being weighed down by price tag pressure (the ₹23.75 crore buy scored just 142 runs in 2025). The allrounder, released and then bought by RCB for ₹7 crore, will strive for a swing in fortunes.
After much uncertainty, RCB now know they will play five home matches at the Chinnaswamy. With its shorter boundaries and a flat deck, it would matter less, but a lightweight spin attack with leggie Suyash Sharma leading and Krunal Pandya as support could hurt as the season progresses. Two home matches will be played in Raipur where boundaries are bigger.
All considered, RCB will be out to recreate the fellowship they forged last year which saw overseas stars Hazlewood and Phil Salt return after the war-induced break. It is something that cannot be said of many other sides. It’s the kind of kindred spirit that makes a group invincible.
