Jacob Bethell or Virat Kohli! Who will open for RCB in IPL 2026?
Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell will represent RCB in IPL 2026.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will have the tough challenge to defend their title in Indian Premier League 2026, which will start on March 28. The Rajat Patidar & Co. will face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their opening game at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell will be two key batters who will be in focus in IPL 2026. Kohli has been in fabulous form in ODIs since the Australia tour in October last year.
He also played a key role in RCB’s title victory last season, smacking eight half-centuries across 15 games. With 657 runs at a superb average of 54.75, he was the highest run-scorer for his team and third overall.
On the other hand, England batter Bethell impressed with his performance in T20 World Cup 2026 in India. The left-handed batsman ended as England’s leading run-scorer with 280 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 152.
He also rocked the field in the semi-final clash against India, smacking a century in a losing cause. In the high-scoring clash, England lost by just seven runs while chasing 254 runs.
Will Jacob Bethell replace Virat Kohli as RCB opener in IPL 2026?
Notably, Bethell’s marvellous batting against India in the semi-final caught the attention of cricket fans, with many of them also voicing their support to make him RCB’s opener in IPL 2026. With his hard-hitting batting style and success on Indian soil, Bethell is a strong contender for the opening slot.
However, Kohli is expected to be preferred as an opener as he gave a brilliant performance last year. Moreover, RCB are not expected to risk with their opening combination of Kohli and Phil Salt after a successful show last season.
Kohli’s impeccable form in ODI cricket in recent times also favours his case. In 2025, he slammed 651 runs in 13 ODIs with three centuries and four fifties at an average of 65.10. He also scored a half-century and a century in the series against New Zealand in January. Currently, Kohli takes the second spot in ICC rankings for ODI batters.
Virat Kohli is part of which team in IPL 2026?
Kohli will play for RCB in the tournament.
Jacob Bethell will represent which team in IPL 2026?
Bethell will represent Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.