Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have begun preparations for the new season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the defending champions returned to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with renewed focus ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Addressing the squad during the first training session, star batter Virat Kohli stressed the importance of maintaining the standards that helped the franchise secure last year’s title.
“We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it’s only going to get tougher because other teams are going to come hard at us.”
Emphasising the need to make the most of the preparation period, Kohli added, “We don’t waste these days. We stay ahead. So switch on now. Let’s not waste even a minute of any session that we are a part of. We must give our 120 per cent for these two and a half months.”
The opening session also saw the integration of several new members into the squad. Head coach Andy Flower welcomed the latest additions, including Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal and Satvik Deswal. He also made special mention of Under-19 World Cup winners Kanishk Chouhan and Vihaan Malhotra.
“We had an interesting auction, and I think we’ve improved our squad, to be quite frank. We’ve brought in some great new additions. Integrating them into the RCB way alongside established players led by Virat and Rajat is an exciting part of building this team,” Flower said.
“There is one difference this year, we’ve got a star on our shirt. That’s a very proud feeling for all RCB fans. But that season is gone. Now we have a new challenge ahead, and it’s an exciting one. We’re here to win this year’s IPL,” he continued.
New recruit and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma also expressed his enthusiasm about joining the setup. “Everyone was very excited to meet each other. I was excited to get more batting time. I got a chance to meet all the coaches and train again.”
Flower also highlighted the advantage of beginning the campaign at home.
“Our first game is here at Chinnaswamy, which is a fantastic opportunity for us to build momentum early and be welcomed by our home fans. The outfield is looking superb, lush, green and beautiful.”
RCB will begin their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.