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Virat Kohli was the prima attraction successful defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s archetypal grooming league up of IPL 2026. Kohli, the long-serving RCB batter, was each concern astatine the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium connected Wednesday.
The 37-year-old started the league with a pep speech to his teammates gathered successful a circle, with caput manager Andy Flower by his side. The erstwhile India skipper past got into the heavy of things with an hour-long batting stint.
Facing Venkatesh Iyer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the spinners radical led by Krunal Pandya, Kohli took an assertive approach. Some shots made saccharine connection, with the shot sailing heavy into the mid-wicket stands.
In the backdrop of uncertainty with planetary flights owed to the struggle successful the Middle East, England’s Jordan Cox was the lone overseas subordinate successful attendance. Cox, an attacking top-order batter, engaged successful a agelong chat with Kohli before the second wielded the willow.
Rajat Patidar, who led RCB to its maiden IPL title past season, was not present. Batting coach Dinesh Karthik and left-arm pacer Yash Dayal were the different notable absentees.
Karnataka southpaw Devdutt Padikkal, caller from a bully run successful the Ranji Trophy, was paired with Kohli in the batting net. Almost instantly aft the duo took the pads disconnected to upwind down, the league came to a halt owed to rain.
The evening held other value arsenic normalcy returned to the stadium, which has been sidelined since the stampede which claimed 11 lives successful June past year.
After months of speculation and suspense, the iconic stadium yet received the motion to host IPL 2026 matches from the bureau of the State Home Minister, G. Parameshwara.
High-level cricket enactment is acceptable to instrumentality to the stadium connected March 28, when RCB takes on Sunrisers Hyderabad successful the opening lucifer of IPL 2026.
