Veteran batsman Virat Kohli practiced in the nets for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. During his first training session at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the experienced batsman was almost dismissed by a lethal yorker bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will enter the upcoming tournament as the defending champions. They won their first title last season under Rajat Patidar. The Bengaluru-based franchise will begin its campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the season-opening match on Saturday, March 28 in Bengaluru.
WATCH: Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s deadly yorker almost bowls out Virat Kohli in practice
In a viral video, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was seen bowling a brilliant yorker against Virat Kohli during training. The delivery almost cleaned up Kohli in an intense session.
This yorker of Bhuvneshwar Kumar completely defeated Virat Kohli.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s name has gone down a bit in the last two years, but maybe he will do something special in this IPL. pic.twitter.com/L0bF9BsR0Z
– 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@Rushiii_12) 19 March 2026
RCB will hope to bowl such yorkers in the death overs in IPL 2026. The right-arm fast bowler joined RCB ahead of IPL 2025 and took 17 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 28.41 and an economy of 9.29.
Virat Kohli enters IPL 2026 in top form despite limited match practice
Virat Kohli currently plays only ODI cricket for India, which has raised some concerns about his match practice ahead of IPL 2026. However, the experienced batsman comes into the tournament in great form. He has adapted his game well despite limited performances in the shortest format.
Kohli performed brilliantly in the recent ODI series against South Africa, where he scored 302 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 117.05, which included two centuries and a half-century. He carried that momentum into the series against New Zealand and added 240 runs at a strike rate of 105.26 with one century and one half-century.
The 37-year-old has shown a more aggressive and modern approach, proving once again his ability to adjust quickly. RCB will be banking on Kohli to continue this form in IPL 2026 and play a key role at the top of the order.
Virat Kohli played a key role in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s historic IPL 2025 title win and was their leading run-scorer. He scored 657 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 144.71. Kohli provided consistently strong starts at the top and held down the batting lineup throughout the campaign.
Kohli’s statistics have been excellent since his debut in 2008. He has scored 8,661 runs in 267 matches at an average of 39.54 and strike rate of 132.85, which includes eight centuries and 63 fifties. His consistency throughout the seasons has made him the backbone of the franchise.
Heading towards IPL 2026, Kohli is on the verge of major milestones. He is closing in on the 9,000-run mark in IPL history and could also become the first player to reach 10,000 T20 runs for a single franchise. RCB will once again depend heavily on their form at the top.
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