Watch: “We Must Give Our 120%” – Virat Kohli shares powerful message with RCB teammates ahead of Indian Premier League 2026

The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) will begin on March 28. All eyes are on the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The team won their first IPL title in 2025 after defeating Punjab Kings in the final.

This will be the first time RCB will play a season as defending champions. Before their opening match, the team held its first practice session at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. During this session, Virat Kohli addressed the players and shared a motivational message. The Bangalore-based franchise ended an 18-year wait by winning the IPL trophy in 2025. Rajat Patidar led the team in that season, while Kohli played a key role in their success.

As the new season approaches, attention is once again on Kohli and RCB. In a video shared by the team, the legendary player encouraged the players to stay focused, remain disciplined, and give their full effort during the season.

Watch the video here:

Kohli Urges RCB to Stay Sharp Ahead of IPL 2026

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru shared an official video on social media where Virat Kohli spoke to the team. He asked every player to work harder as the new season will be more challenging.

Kohli said, "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 the other teams are going to come hard at us. We don’t waste these days."

He also added, "We stay ahead. So, switch on now. Let’s not waste even a minute of every session we are a part of. We must give our 120% for these two and a half months. I can see from everyone’s faces that we are excited enough to be challenged."

See also -Watch: Virat Kohli’s glorious unorthodox shots ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026

Coach Andy Flower Welcomes New Players

Head coach Andy Flower started the practice session by welcoming the new players. He said the team has improved after the auction and added strong players.

Flower said, "We had an interesting auction. I think we’ve improved our squad, to be quite frank. We brought in some great new additions."

He also explained the team-building process, saying, "Integrating those new players into the RCB way with some of the established players, obviously led by Virat and Rajat, is an exciting part of building a new team together."

Speaking about the pride of being champions, he said, "If there is one difference this year, we have actually got a star on our shirts. So that is a very proud feeling to have for all RCBians."

He further added, "The season’s gone, and now we have a new challenge ahead of us, and it’s a really exciting challenge. We’re here to win this year’s IPL."

RCB Players List IPL 2026

Batters: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jordan Cox (WK).

All-Rounders: Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan.

Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Nuwan Thushara, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy.

RCB IPL Schedule 2026

The Rajat Patidar-led franchise will play the opening match of the Indian Premier League 2026 season. They will face Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Here is their list of all matches at a glance: