In Bengaluru, on March 27, Virat Kohli's drive and hunger to achieve new heights as an athlete haven't been affected by the 18 IPL seasons, and he remains at the top of his game, according to Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Andy Flower.
Kohli was RCB's top run-scorer last year, scoring 657 runs when the franchise won its first IPL trophy, and Flower doesn't see any reason why Kohli wouldn't repeat that success.
"I've been watching Kohli closely, and he looks like he's at the peak of his game. He's in excellent physical condition. I saw him practicing shuttles the other day, and he looks very fit and determined," Flower said in the pre-match press conference.
"He's always been very driven and determined, and I think that mental and emotional space he's in allows him to perform at his best. He's comfortable with himself as a person and as a professional athlete," he added.
However, Kohli will be playing his first tournament since January, when he played in a home ODI series against New Zealand.
Flower doesn't see this as a significant issue.
"We've discussed this, and I've always enjoyed watching top players practice. Even when I was playing, I enjoyed watching Sachin practice. It's the same here, even though I'm coaching, I really enjoy watching the best players at work," Flower said.
"I think Kohli is in a great position, and watching him train, I think he's at the peak of his powers. He's aware that he's playing less cricket, but he still looks like he's at the top of his game," he added.
Flower also praised Rajat Patidar's progress as RCB's captain.
"It's amazing that Patidar led RCB to the trophy in his first year as captain. He had limited captaincy experience before that, but we were impressed with his leadership," Flower said.
"He's a likeable and respected player in the dressing room. He's very calm and composed, which is important for the bowlers, and he has a good deputy in Jitesh," he added.
This led Flower to describe the qualities that make wicketkeeper batter Jitesh Sharma an ideal deputy of Patidar.
"Jitesh is energetic and enthusiastic, but he also has the gloves. When you have the gloves, you see a lot of the game. I know Jitesh is a good student of the game and he's tactically aware," Flower said.
"I think having them close to each other on the field is very useful, and it's also nice to have two different personalities working together," he added.
However, Flower said that the other experienced players in RCB's ranks make Patidar and Jitesh's job easier.
"We also have other experienced players in the team, like Krunal Pandya, who is a very smart cricketer. We saw him have his best season last year in the IPL," Flower said.
"It's great to have that kind of cricket intelligence in the team, along with Rajat. It's also nice to have players like Hazlewood, who are calm and influential. Leadership is not just about one person, but about a group working together effectively," he added.
But unlike other seasons, RCB will enter IPL 2026 as defending champions. Does this add pressure to the team?
"Indirectly, yes. Last year was a hugely proud moment for us," Flower said.
"We know that the franchise has been working hard for many years to achieve this. Virat's commitment to the franchise over a long period of time was a key factor in our success. So, winning the trophy last year was a hugely proud and satisfying moment," he added.
"But it was also an emotional time at the end of the season. However, I would say that it's now 2026, and we're looking forward to the next season and the challenges ahead," he concluded.