New Delhi, March 11: Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, a key player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), has begun preparations for the upcoming 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is scheduled to start on March 28.
In a video he shared, Kohli was seen hitting powerful shots in the nets as he started training. The 39-year-old appeared in good form, batting and hitting impressive shots at the training center in the United Kingdom.
In the video he posted on Instagram, Kohli is seen working hard in the indoor nets, and he captioned the post "IPL 2026" with a sand timer emoticon.
The franchise also shared the video, writing, "The run machine looks well-prepared. Let's start #IPL2026 now."
They also made a special edit for the iconic cricketer, who completed 18 years with the franchise on Wednesday and is set for his 19th edition with the side.
Sharing the post, RCB wrote, "19 seasons, 1 team, 1 legendary name. From a promising youngster in 2008 to an irreplaceable icon of the franchise. #OnThisDay 18 years ago, we signed Virat Kohli through the U-19 Player Draft at the first ever #IPLAuction. Years later, the journey continues with the same passion, the same loyalty, and the same King inspiring all the way."
Kohli played a crucial role in RCB's IPL title victory in 2025, after a long drought. In the previous season, he was the team's top run-scorer, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings with a strike rate of 144.71.
The Bengaluru-based franchise defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in the final, successfully defending a target of 191. Kohli was the leading scorer for his team in the match, contributing a key 43 runs off 35 balls.
Having retired from both Test and T20 cricket, Kohli is now active in only one format across international cricket: the ODIs. While he retired from the longest format of the game last year, the former Indian captain retired from T20Is after India’s World Cup victory in 2024, on the day of the final, where they defeated South Africa in Barbados.