Virat Kohli leads RCB's 1st training session ahead of IPL
What's the story
Virat Kohli, the veteran batsman of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), led his team's first training session ahead of IPL 2026. The session took place at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. As per a report in Sportstar, Kohli began the practice with a pep talk to his teammates, before getting into an hour-long batting stint against RCB bowlers.
Training details
Kohli faces local bowlers in nets
The report added that during the training, Kohli faced Venkatesh Iyer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and a spin group led by Krunal Pandya. The 37-year-old took an aggressive approach with some shots hitting deep into the mid-wicket stands. England's Jordan Cox was the only foreign player present at the session due to international flight uncertainties amid Middle East conflict.
Stadium revival
Chinnaswamy Stadium cleared to host IPL matches
The training session was special as it marked the return of normalcy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue had been out of action since a stampede that killed 11 people in June last year. After months of speculation, the iconic stadium was finally cleared to host IPL 2026 matches by State Home Minister G. Parameshwara's office.
RCB
RCB to open campaign against SRH
RCB will play their first match of IPL 2026 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. Notably, last season was a historic one for Kohli as he helped RCB win their maiden IPL title by scoring 657 runs at an average of 54.75 with eight half-centuries. RCB will be keen to retain the IPL title this season with the likes of Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer leading their solid batting unit.