Virat Kohli made a brilliant return to T20 cricket as he slammed an unbeaten 69 off just 38 balls to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2026 opener. Despite not playing the format for 10 months, Kohli showed no signs of rust, hammering five boundaries and five sixes to guide RCB home. Kohli’s former India teammate Manoj Tiwary heaped praise on him. Tiwary hailed Kohli for managing to perform despite the pressure on him every season.
“There will be at least a little bit of pressure because he hasn’t played much,” Tiwary said on Cricbuzz, speaking about Kohli.
“But he always comes with proof of why he is Virat Kohli. As long as he is at the crease, there is always belief in the dugout,” Tiwary added.
Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma on Saturday said the defending champions tag is “irrelevant” as the team focuses on chasing the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 title.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of RCB’s clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sharma quoted RCB director of cricket Mo Bobat, saying, “Frankly speaking, it is irrelevant. As our director of cricket, Mo Bobat, said, we are not defending, we are chasing the title. This is a new season, we have to start one game again at a time, but with the confidence of what we have achieved.”
Addressing questions around the Impact Player rule in a cash-rich league, the RCB keeper-batter said, “If you ask me personally, I think it’s a good thing. Our Indian players are getting one more chance, so why not? Someone who is on the bench is getting an opportunity, so I am happy for that.”
The defending champions have started their IPL 2026 campaign on a fantastic note. RCB thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the tournament opener.
With IANS inputs
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