Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has already switched into preparation mode for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
RCB director Mo Bobat calls Virat Kohli's 18-year IPL record "ridiculous", says building a championship-winning team around him was a priority, and backs Rajat Patidar's leadership as the franchise eyes back-to-back titles.
Virat Kohli's decision to scale back his international commitments has not dampened his appetite for runs, with the former India captain guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to victory with an unbeaten 69 in the IPL 2026 opener.
Dale Steyn noted that Virat Kohli's confidence has grown, allowing him to play more aerial shots regularly.
Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar have emerged as the leading candidates for the role of RCB captain for IPL 2025.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru has become the first team to hold both the IPL and WPL titles simultaneously.
Rajat Patidar understands what it would mean for the team to win the coveted Indian Premier League title for one of country's bonafide cricket legends.
Virat Kohli has been appointed the new Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. The vice captain of the India team succeeds the highly respected and successful former RCB captain Daniel Vettori.
Mumbai Indians aim to leverage their home advantage against Royal Challengers Bengaluru after a mixed start to their IPL campaign. Key batting performances and bowling partnerships will be crucial for both teams.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru powered their way to 240/4 with half-centuries from Virat Kohli, Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar, before holding off a late fightback to beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in a high-scoring IPL clash on Sunday.
Suresh Raina has thrown his weight behind RCB, saying this could finally be the season they break their title drought - and that Virat Kohli might lift the trophy after 18 years of waiting.
Retirement from Test cricket has not taken the competitive edge out of Virat Kohli and the star batter is ambitiously focusing on what he can achieve with RCB in IPL 2025.
'It is really special for me, for Virat Kohli, and all the fans.'
Royal Challengers Bengaluru aim to leverage their powerful batting lineup against Lucknow Super Giants' disciplined bowling attack in their upcoming IPL match
Devdutt Padikkal's 26-ball-61 crusted with class and Virat Kohli's masterly unbeaten half-century powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a dominant six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya admits the team needs to introspect and rethink their strategy after losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their recent IPL match. He acknowledges the team is struggling to set the pace and needs to improve in both batting and bowling, particularly in the powerplay overs.
Former South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis has been named the new captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, replacing Indian batter Virat Kohli who stepped down after the 2021 season.
Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor attended the MI-RCB clash with family as RCB secured an 18-run win in a high-scoring thriller.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru look the most complete side in IPL 2026 as they face an inconsistent Delhi Capitals unit still searching for form.
Rajat Patidar praises Virat Kohli's match-winning performance after Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener.
The Indian captain lauded Sunrisers Hyderabad for defending 25 runs from 18 balls with Siddarth Kaul and Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowling brilliantly to win the match by five runs.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be optimistic about securing their second consecutive win in the IPL as they face Chennai Super Kings, who are struggling with Sanju Samson's form and a lack of strong bowling options.
'We missed out on Ravichandran Ashwin, but we have a strong pace attack.'
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League gets underway in Bengaluru on Saturday, a touch lighter on overseas firepower but buoyed by a confirmation of its robust financial health this week.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League aiming to retain the title, but former India captain Anil Kumble believes the task will be easier said than done.
India's skipper missed out on what would have been his 99th Test on the morning of the second match of the series against South Africa in Johannesburg, adding to an intriguing drama that is unfolding around him on an almost daily basis now.
He may no longer be RCB's captain, but Virat Kohli is always in the thick of action on the field and off it.
Kohli expressed his wholehearted support by calling the team 'Superwomen' in an Instagram post.
Virat Kohli expresses satisfaction with his performance despite fitness concerns as Royal Challengers Bengaluru secures a win against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. He also praises Rajat Patidar's aggressive batting and discusses the evolving demands of T20 cricket.
Defending champions RCB head into IPL 2026 with a balanced squad, strong batting core and pace attack, aiming for back-to-back titles after their historic 2025 triumph.
Rajat Patidar's aggressive innings helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru reach a total of 201 for 8 against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match, after a shaky start.
Virat Kohli bounced back in style to score a patient half-century against the Gujarat Titans.
An all-charged up Virat Kohli took the field as the RCB bowlers put up a spirited performance to guide their team to a thumping 67 run victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
A preview of the 2026 IPL season, highlighting the challenges faced by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the redemption quests of legacy teams, the relevance of veteran players, and the emergence of future stars.
RCB, with four wins from five matches, are beginning to look like genuine title contenders once again.
Tim David, Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal went ballistic with marauding knocks while bowlers came up with a clinical showing as Royal Challengers Bengaluru trounced Chennai Super Kings by 43 runs.
Patidar made a bright beginning to his stint as RCB captain, leading his side to a seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening game of the IPL 2025 in Kolkata on Saturday.
Tim David's explosive hitting, including eight sixes and a monstrous 106m strike, powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He also met with skipper Rajat Patidar, pacer Yash Dayal, head coach Andy Flower, and Director of Cricket Mo Bobat.
'He has been RCB's leader since 2013 and RCB's best performance under him has been runners up in 2016.' 'In 2013 and 2014, RCB didn't reach the Playoffs stage.' 'In 2015 it reached that stage.' 'In 2017, RCB didn't go beyond the league stage.' 'Sometimes, a change at the top leads to a change in a team's fortunes,' says Sudhir Bisht.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances