The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year, ending an 18-year wait for a maiden title for their talismanic cricketer, Virat Kohli and millions of passionate fans around the world.
As the upcoming edition of the tournament gets underway on March 28, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan opined that Kohli would be hungrier than ever to win back-to-back titles. Pathan also highlighted how Kohli likes to make an impact for his team.
“The hunger in Virat Kohli will be there. In fact, he will be hungrier than ever, especially after lifting the IPL trophy last season. He will want to win back-to-back IPL trophies. That hunger in him to win and create an impact is always going to be there,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.
“We have seen that when he played for India, especially in the one-day series against South Africa and New Zealand. He looks like he wants to make an impact in every game. I think he will have the same kind of passion when he returns this season. He will want to lift the trophy once again,” he added.
Last year, Kohli played a key role in RCB’s success. The legendary batter opened the batting with Phil Salt and made some stunning contributions. He finished third on the list of highest run-getters in the tournament.
In 15 innings, he amassed 657 runs at a staggering average of 54.75 and an equally impressive strike rate of 144.71.
Virat Kohli returns to net practice ahead of 2026 IPL
The former India captain has already started his preparation for the impending season of the IPL. He recently posted a reel on Instagram, where he could be seen going through an intense net session. Fans are waiting eagerly to see Kohli back on the field, as he hasn’t played competitive cricket since the ODI series against New Zealand at home in January. While the Men in Blue lost the three-match series 1-2, Kohli amassed one century and one fifty, finishing as the second-highest run-getter.
