The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB head into the season with renewed confidence after ending their 17-year title drought in 2025 under the leadership of Rajat Patidar.
While Patidar led them to glory, the legacy of Virat Kohli as captain remains deeply influential. Having captained the franchise for several years, Kohli may not have lifted the trophy during his tenure, but his impact on the team’s culture and player development is undeniable. He remains the leading run-scorer in IPL history, with over 8600 runs, and has played a crucial role in nurturing talent that has gone on to excel at the international level.
Here are three players backed by Virat Kohli as RCB captain in IPL:
Devdutt Padikkal
Devdutt Padikkal burst onto the scene in 2020 as a 20-year-old prodigy after a stellar domestic season, where he topped the run charts in white-ball tournaments. He carried that form into the IPL, winning the Emerging Player award in his debut season with 473 runs. Padikkal followed it up with another impressive campaign, including a magnificent unbeaten 101 off 52 balls against the Rajasthan Royals.
Under Kohli’s guidance, Padikkal developed into a technically sound and versatile batter, earning opportunities with the Indian national team in both Tests and T20Is. After a few seasons away, he returned to RCB in 2025, scoring 247 runs in 10 matches. His recent numbers are brilliant in domestic units, but his early seasons remain a testament to the potential Kohli helped unlock.
