Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Anil Kumble reflected on the immense importance of Virat Kohli in the RCB team and called him one of the central reasons behind RCB’s immense stardom. He also hinted at a possible change in Virat Kohli’s batting approach in 2026.
Having produced his best performances since his golden years, Virat Kohli is somewhat out of form in the ODI format even though he has retired from Tests and T20Is at the international level. He will continue to play in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore and will soon be seen in the colors of RCB.
The Indian batsman scored 657 runs in 15 innings for the defending champions last season. He was their best batsman in this format and also scored the third highest number of runs in the IPL. He was RCB’s most consistent performer in their first IPL win.
“Yes, RCB’s identity is still built around him.” -Anil Kumble
Former RCB captain Anil Kumble, who has led the Challengers in the IPL in the past, reflected on Virat Kohli’s deep relationship with the franchise he has been playing for for almost 18 years. He also mentioned the loyalty of the fans in Bengaluru.
“Yes, the identity of RCB is still built around him. If you look at RCB in the last 10-12 years, it has always been about someone like Virat Kohli. Once he took over the captaincy in 2013, it has been about his presence with the franchise,” he said.
“Of course, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle got similar support. I was mesmerized when AB came to play his 100th Test match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium; you can see the kind of reception he got when he represented South Africa too.
Anil Kumble hints at changes like Virat Kohli’s ABD in IPL 2026
“It shows how much love the people of Bengaluru have for RCB and Virat. Just like we talk about MS (Dhoni) and CSK, Virat and RCB will always be synonymous and I don’t think that will change. That legacy will remain,” Kumble said on Star Sports’ IPL Today Live.
The great Indian spinner talked about the mindset of legendary cricketers and he emphasized that they always evolve and strive more for their betterment. He hinted that Kohli may show new strokes this season
Virat Kohli eyes massive IPL feat in 2026
As one of the biggest attractions of the league, his return to the IPL always involves some tremendous buzz. Virat managed to score 8661 runs in 267 IPL matches and is the highest run-scorer in the history of the competition.
He is on the verge of becoming the first cricketer to score 9000 runs in the history of IPL. He can become the first player in the history of any franchise tournament to score 9000 runs in a single tournament.
Also, the experienced cricketer has 13543 runs to his name and can become the fifth cricketer to score 14000+ runs in T20 cricket after the end of this year’s IPL. Kohli is continuously scoring more than 500 runs and this will be his target in the coming season also.
Also read: “He needs to be fit”: Michael Clarke underestimates Josh Hazlewood’s importance for RCB