Virat Kohli takes up new role for RCB ahead of IPL 2026
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Indian legend Virat Kohli was spotted bowling in the RCB nets to his opening partner Phil Salt as they prepare for the opening game of IPL 2026, between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru went on to win their maiden title in the IPL under Rajat Patidar's captaincy in 2025. He became one of the few captains to win the title on their debut as captain of the team.
RCB would still hold on to their dynamic opening pair, with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. Jacob Bethell, the other Englishman, is most likely to be slotted next in the batting order.
Virat Kohli spotted bowling in RCB nets ahead of IPL 2026
VIRAT KOHLI DOING BOWLING PRACTICE AHEAD OF THE IPL 2026. 🥶🐐 pic.twitter.com/5zTepZyG4y
— Praveen kumar (@Naninaidu98) March 25, 2026
Virat Kohli, the legendary Indian batter, was seen bowling to fellow opener Phil Salt in the nets ahead of RCB's opening clash against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The first match will be played on Saturday, the 28th of March.
This video has gone viral on social media platforms. Virat Kohli will return to action in the IPL after he last played for India in the ODI series against New Zealand. He, alongside Phil Salt, played a massive role in RCB clinching their maiden IPL title in 2026.
The veteran duo will return in the same role for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kohli has been their constant top scorer over the last three seasons, while Salt too amassed 403 runs in 13 games for the team at a strike rate of 175.
Phil Salt and Kohli's flamboyant partnerships for RCB
Virat Kohli and Phil Salt delivered brisk starts, with the latter playing the aggressor's role while Virat mainly anchored the innings. In over 13 innings together, Kohli and Salt piled up 565 runs together.
The best of their partnerships came against oppositions like the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Rajasthan Royals. The first such partnership was a 95-run stand between the two batters for the first wicket while chasing a target of 175.
Another commanding display came against the Royals in Jaipur, where Kohli and Salt stitched a 92-run partnership in a commanding 9-wicket victory. Kohli and Salt both hammered half-centuries in the two games.
Mo Bobat downplayed Phil Salt's lack of form
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, downplayed the concerns over Phil Salt's lack of form, despite his poor run in the ICC T20 World Cup for England. He will feature on the same tracks for RCB.
Phil Salt entered the T20 World Cup 2026 as the second-ranked batter in the ICC T20I rankings. Salt featured in eight games for England but could manage to score just 130 runs at a dismal average of 16.25.
“Someone like Phil Salt is still ranked in one of the top. Not recently, but the top two or three T20 batters in the world. So there is enough depth of confidence there. He also really enjoys being with RCB, his partnership with Virat," Bobat said.
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