Royal Challengers Bengaluru have hit the ground running ahead of IPL 2026, with Virat Kohli showing early signs of form in a competitive warm-up game. The star batter smashed a brisk 29 off just 12 balls, setting the tone just days before their season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The intra-squad practice match, split between teams led by Krunal Pandya and Venkatesh Iyer, turned into a batting showcase. With IPL 2026 around the corner, RCB’s camp in Bengaluru has already shifted into high-intensity mode, reflecting the hunger of a defending champion keen to start strong.
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RCB shared glimpses of the session on social media, where Krunal Pandya highlighted the overall quality on display. “It was a good practice game. Everyone had a good hit,” he said, also praising the efforts of bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, and Mangesh Yadav for maintaining competitive intensity.
𝗥𝗖𝗕’𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗨𝗽 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝘈 𝘳𝘶𝘯-𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘮𝘺 🤩❤️🔥
Jitesh, Rajat, Devdutt and KP amongst the runs, exciting cameos from Virat, Venky and TD, and some promising spells to sum up an exciting practice game. 🔥
Watch how it all… pic.twitter.com/SAaT2kPNox
— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) March 23, 2026
Among the standout performers, Jitesh Sharma stole the show with a blistering 81 off 37 balls, striking at nearly 219. Slotted to reprise his finisher’s role, Jitesh looks primed for a breakout season. He was well supported by Tim David, who hammered 36 off 14 deliveries, and Venkatesh Iyer, who added a quick 30 off 16.
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Kohli’s fluent knock, however, remains the biggest takeaway. His timing and intent suggested he is already in rhythm, a positive sign for RCB’s title defence. As the season approaches, the franchise will once again rely on their talisman to lead from the front and reinforce their champion status.
