IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin the Indian Premier League 2026 season as the defending champions and will aim to win consecutive titles. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that Virat Kohli could play a crucial role in helping the team achieve that goal.
‘Kohli Will Be Hungrier Than Ever’: Irfan Pathan Ahead Of IPL 2026
Pathan believes Virat Kohli will be highly motivated heading into the new season. After guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their first-ever Indian Premier League title in 2025, Kohli will now aim to help the team achieve another milestone by winning consecutive championships.
Kohli played a crucial role in that historic campaign. He scored 43 runs in the final against Punjab Kings and ended the season as RCB’s highest run-getter, amassing 657 runs in 15 matches.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Irfan Pathan shared his thoughts on Virat Kohli’s hunger to win.
Virat Kohli’s Brilliant 2025 IPL Season For Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The 37-year-old Kohli played a vital role in RCB’s title win last season, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. He finished among the top run-scorers in the tournament, contributing significantly with 66 fours and multiple fifty-plus scores.
Speaking on Kohli, the former Indian all-rounder said, “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.”
“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 comes back this season. He will want to lift the trophy once again,” he said.
Devdutt Padikkal Could Play A Key Role For RCB In IPL 2026
In the 2025 IPL season, Devdutt Padikkal scored 247 runs in 10 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) before being ruled out due to a hamstring injury. He maintained a strike rate of 150.61, scoring two half-centuries, with a highest score of 61.
On Padikkal’s improved form, Pathan siad, “Devdutt Padikkal is going to play a major role in RCB’s success in IPL 2026. He has scored runs left, right and centre in domestic cricket across all formats. He looks like a very improved player. There was a time when he was struggling, wasn’t getting his timing right. But that is in the past now. Devdutt Padikkal is a different, very confident player now. What I really like about RCB is that earlier they used to rely heavily on Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle to win matches.”
“That has changed now. Their whole playing XI is full of match-winners. That is a fantastic thing. But going into IPL 2026, RCB will have some injury concerns, especially with Josh Hazlewood’s fitness. The good thing is they have secured good backups. The duo of Nuwan Thushara and Jacob Duffy can cover well for Hazlewood if he faces fitness issues. That makes RCB even stronger,” Pathan concluded.
(INPUTS TAKEN FROM ANI)
