Overview:
RCB are the defending champions, having won their maiden title in 2025.
India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s batter Virat Kohli has got a new tattoo on his left arm ahead of the Indian Premier League 2026. The work was done by the Aliens Tattoo India, who shared the video of the legendary batter on Instagram, and it went viral.
The tattoo signifies Kohli’s journey over the years. The player will represent RCB in the 19th edition of the IPL, set to start on March 28. The defending champions will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first game of the season at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
“This was not about adding another tattoo. It was about creating something that carries depth, something that reflects who he has become,” wrote Aliens Tattoo on its website.
“This piece draws from his journey as a person. It reflects the transformation he has gone through, what he has moved beyond, what he has arrived at, and the direction he continues to move in. At every inflection point in his life, he has shed parts of who he once was, through discipline, through focus, through an unwavering sense of belief. And yet, not everything was left behind. Some parts stayed. Some became stronger. And much more was added – to his personality, to his beliefs, to the way he approaches life today. His new full sleeve tattoo reflects exactly that.
“His left arm was not a blank canvas. It already carried years of ink, an incomplete armband, older tattoos, elements that belonged to different phases of his life. Some had aged. Some had lost their clarity. Some no longer reflected the precision and intent they once held.
“The approach was deliberate. Some parts needed to be covered. Some needed to be refined and restored. And much more needed to be added – with purpose. To take scattered fragments and transform them into a single, cohesive sleeve that flows as one.”