Overview:
RCB will play their first match of the new campaign on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Legendary batter AB de Villiers is backing Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to defend their IPL title. RCB won their maiden trophy after defeating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 6 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in 2025.
De Villiers, who was a part of RCB for 11 years, said the franchise is no longer dependent on star player Virat Kohli. According to him, Kohli can take his time as RCB now have several match-winners in the squad.
“Virat knows that he is not the only one carrying the load of the franchise anymore,” De Villiers told JioHotstar.
“He has a good squad around him, and all the players are gunning to win the trophy. I think RCB are in a good place and they don’t need to change much. They have a chance to defend their title and emerge victorious in the upcoming season as well,” he added.
RCB added more firepower to their squad by signing former KKR player Venkatesh Iyer for INR 7 crore and Mangesh Yadav for INR 5.20 crore. Joran Cox and Jacob Duffy joined the team for INR 75 lakh and INR 2 crore, respectively.
Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, and Kanishk Chouhan were bought for INR 30 lakh each.
AB de Villiers hailed Kohli for his mindset, saying RCB now have the momentum to lift another IPL trophy, reflecting on Kohli’s attitude of turning one successful year into several wins.
“Kohli often said in the past that if RCB win one trophy, the franchise can quickly add a few more to the cabinet. I feel RCB are in that position now where they can go bang, bang and bang. They can win two or three consecutive trophies,” De Villiers added.
RCB women’s team clinched the WPL trophy for the second time in three years. Smriti Mandhana-led franchise thumped the Delhi Capitals in the final. The men’s team now has an opportunity to achieve a double by winning the league this year.
RCB will play their first match of IPL 2026 on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.