AB de Villiers Virat Kohli has shared the importance of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) dressing room ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli remains the backbone of RCB and their IPL aspirations as he prepares to begin his 19th consecutive season with the franchise. De Villiers, Kohli's former teammate at RCB, understands the aura of the 37-year-old not only on the field but also off the field.
The former South African batsman believes that Kohli brings out the best in the rest of the team with his performance with the bat and also his energy and attitude on the field. These combinations ultimately resulted in the Bengaluru franchise winning its first IPL title. despite not being the captain Kohli Led the team from forward and finished the campaign as their leading run-scorer. The right-handed batsman scored 657 runs at an average of 54.75, which included eight half-centuries.
De Villiers said on Geostar, “Virat is definitely still the heartbeat of the franchise. Not just because of his performances and the consistency he has achieved with the bat over the years, but also because of his presence and the energy he brings to the team. The way he conducts himself on and off the field, always fighting for the team, stands out. He brings that energy and gives the youngsters the belief that they can eventually go on and win trophies, which RCB is looking for. Did it last year.”
Despite Kohli's dominant presence at RCB, De Villiers is proud to see that the entire team contributed to their title win.
He said, “What I liked about last season was, yes, he was one of the main run-scorers in the team, as openers usually are, but there were other players who stepped up. In the past, RCB has often been guilty of relying on just two, three or four players to perform consistently. This time, I felt the entire team contributed.”
Like Dhoni and CSK, Virat and RCB will always be synonymous: Kumble
Former Indian captain and legendary spinner Anil Kumble Agreed with de Villiers' view on Kohli's importance within the RCB camp. The former player-pundit compared the former Indian captain's relationship with RCB and its fans to MS Dhoni's relationship with Chennai Super Kings.
“Yes, the identity of RCB is still built around him. If you look at RCB in the last 10-12 years, it has always been about someone like Virat Kohli. Once he took over the captaincy in 2013, it is all about his presence with the franchise. Of course, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle also got similar support.
“I was mesmerized when AB came to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to play his 100th Test match, you could see the kind of reception he got even while representing South Africa. It shows how much love the people of Bengaluru have for RCB and Virat. Just like we talk about MS (Dhoni) and CSK, Virat and RCB will always be synonymous, and I don't think that will change. That legacy will remain.” Kumble said.
Similar to de Villiers, Kumble was also impressed by the contributions of other players in the RCB team to win the tournament in 2025. He was particularly impressed by the spin duo of Krunal Pandya and Suyyash Sharma. The pair took 25 wickets between themselves, with Krunal himself taking 17 wickets.
“What stood out for me last season was the contribution of the two spinners, Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma. He brought consistency in the bowling performance, which helped RCB reach the final and ultimately win. We knew that fast bowlers always have the ability to play their part, be it Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Josh Hazlewood,” he added.
RCB will begin the 2026 IPL season with a home match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.
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