As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru gear up to defend their IPL title, star batsman Virat Kohli rallied his teammates on Saturday, urging them to “switch on” and make the most of every moment during training. At their inaugural practice session at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli stressed the necessity of maintaining the high energy that propelled them to victory last season. “We’ve put in tremendous effort over the past two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it’s only going to get more challenging as other teams will come at us with full force,” Kohli stated. He added, “Let’s not let these precious days slip away. We need to stay ahead. So, let’s switch on now. We cannot afford to waste a single minute of any session. We must give our all for these next two and a half months.” Head coach Andy Flower expressed his satisfaction with the squad assembled after the auction, highlighting significant improvements in key areas. “The auction was quite interesting, and I genuinely believe we’ve enhanced our squad. We’ve brought in some fantastic new talent, and integrating them with established players like Virat and Rajat is an exciting phase for our team,” Flower commented. He also pointed out the pride of being the reigning champions and emphasized that the team is eager to embrace the upcoming challenges rather than dwell on past successes. “This year is different; we have a star on our shirt, which is a source of pride for all RCB fans. However, last season is behind us. A new challenge awaits, and we’re here to claim this year’s IPL,” he remarked. Flower noted the advantage of kicking off their campaign at home, saying, “Our first game is at Chinnaswamy, which presents a fantastic chance to build early momentum and receive a warm welcome from our home fans. The outfield looks superb—lush, green, and beautiful.” RCB will commence their IPL 2026 journey against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, having strengthened their squad with the additions of Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, and Satvik Deswal during the auction.
