IPL 2026: How did Virat Kohli perform in RCB's intra-squad game? Here's the full scorecard
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RCB will play against SRH in the IPL 2026 season opener on March 28 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is less than a week away and the excitement for the start of the season is gradually building up. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are the defending champions of the tournament, having won their first title in 18 years in last edition.
RCB will play the season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. The venue has been given green signal to host IPL games in 2026 following the tragic stampede incident in 2025 following RCB’s maiden IPL title win.
Meanwhile, RCB’s preparations for IPL 2026 are in full flow. They look like one of the most settled teams heading into IPL 2026. They bought as many as seven players in the mini-auction. Venkatesh Iyer (7 Cr), Mangesh Yadav (5.2 Cr) and Jacob Duffy (2Cr) were some important buys for them in the auction. Mangesh Yadav, the all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, was also snapped up by RCB and is expected to play a key role for the side in the season.
As their first game is around the corner, RCB were in involved in a intra-squad game at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Venkatesh Iyer led one team, while Krunal Pandya was captain of the second team.
Virat Kohli played for Team Venky in the RCB practice match; scores 29 off 12 balls
Team Venky batted first and scored 234/7. Jitesh Sharma (81 off 37), Tim David (36 off 14), Venkatesh Iyer (30 off 16) were the top run-getters. Virat Kohli looked in decent touch as well as he hit 29 off 12 balls including three sixes. He has been in the great form of late and would be hoping to carry that on in IPL 2026 as well.
In response, Team Krunal scored 247 runs. Devdutt Padikkal (66 off 33), Krunal Pandya (58 off 33) and RCB captain Rajat Patidar (74 off 25) were the chief scorers. It was a high-scoring game with the batters from both sides getting a decent hit.
Kohli, as always, will be the most crucial player for his side. In his last ODI series against the Kiwis, he scored 240 runs in three matches, including a century. He is coming back after a short break and would want to help his team retain their title.
When does IPL 2026 start?
IPL 2026 starts from March 28.
Which two teams are playing the IPL 2026 season opener?
RCB and SRH will be playing the IPL 2026 opener at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.
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Anshuman Roy is a senior cricket journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering the game. His love for cricket began in childhood, playing at school and college level before turning that passion into a profession. Over the years, he has written for several reputed media houses and specialises in news, features, previews, reviews, match reports, and opinion pieces.