IPL 2026: Virat Kohli arrives in Bengaluru in quest to defend RCB's IPL title
Virat Kohli has returned to Bengaluru, marking the start of his 19th consecutive season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His arrival has sparked excitement as RCB prepares to defend their IPL title.
Last Updated: 02.56 PM, Mar 18, 2026
The "King" Virat Kohli has finally returned to his fortress. Earlier this Wednesday morning, Virat Kohli landed at Kempegowda International Airport, officially flaring the countdown to his 19th consecutive season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The arrival of the Indian legend has sent IPL vibes through the city as the franchise prepares for its highest-stakes assignment yet: defending the IPL title. Coming off a solid IPL 2025 campaign where he scored a staggering 657 runs, Kohli will be the uncontested heartbeat of the RCB dugout.
Kohli to feature in his 19th consecutive season for RCB
RCB’s social media handles turned Virat Kohli's arrival into a full-blown digital campaign over the last 24 hours. Using the cryptic caption "Knock knock!", the franchise teased the 12th Man Army with hints of the arrival of their former captain.
Most notably, the franchise shared a nostalgic throwback to Kohli’s legendary 183-run masterclass from the 2012 Asia Cup, an innings that happened exactly 14 years ago today, on March 18.
The tribute served as a chilling reminder to other teams that even after nearly two decades, Kohli’s hunger for big runs on this exact date remains part of his modern-day folklore.
RCB to play the IPL 2026 opener
The defending champions are slated to kick off their season on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With Kohli now in the city and expected to join the pre-season camp immediately, the fans would certainly be back at the stadium just to see the legend in action during the practice session.
Full RCB squad for IPL 2026
Batters
Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, and Jordan Cox.
All-Rounders
Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, and Kanishk Chouhan.
Bowlers
Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, and Yash Dayal.