Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 18 (ANI): Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli and stars Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Devdutt Padikkal joined the team ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

RCB will start their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at their home venue of M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and with the women's team being the current Women's Premier League (WPL) champions, the men's team will also be eyeing to retain the title and continue RCB's recent golden run. Currently, RCB are the reigning kings and queens of Indian franchise cricket, being the first team to hold the IPL and WPL trophies at the same time.

Taking to X, RCB posted about Virat's arrival, 'You don't have to see him... to know he's coming! Check the calendar. There will be signs... #PlayBold RCB #IPL2026'

https://x.com/RCBTweets/status/2034110257010798827

There were indeed signs of the 'King' arriving at his kingdom, as the number 18, his jersey number, was displayed at a traffic signal, and fans were also seen running for a chance to get clicked with Virat.

The leading run-getter in the IPL will play with more freedom and fearlessness, having got the monkey off his back by capturing the elusive trophy last season by beating Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a well-fought title clash at Ahmedabad.

Currently at 8,661 runs in 267 matches with eight centuries and 63 fifties, Virat will also be aiming to become the first player to reach the 9,000 run mark in the IPL history. Having made 9,085 runs in 282 matches for RCB across IPL and now-defunct Champions League T20, Virat is one extraordinary season away from becoming the first-ever player to score 10,000 runs for a single IPL team in all of T20 cricket.

Having made 13,543 runs in 414 T20Is including nine centuries and 105 fifties, Virat will also be aiming to join West Indies titans Chris Gayle (14,562 runs), Kieron Pollard (14,482 runs), England's Alex Hales (14,449 runs), and Australian legend David Warner (14,028 runs) as the fifth member of the 14,000-run club in T20 cricket.

Last season, Virat scored 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, with eight fifties to his name, finishing as the team's leading run-getter and third-highest run-getter overall.

The 'Swing King' Bhuvneshwar Kumar also joined the squad, with RCB posting on X, 'He brings the calm, but his impact is loud! Bhuvi is HOME, and the veteran is back to shoulder responsibilities again. Show our Swing King some love, 12th Man Army.'

https://x.com/RCBTweets/status/2034096117227651135

Last season, Bhuvneshwar was RCB's third-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 28.41, with best figures of 3/33. With 198 wickets in 190 matches, Bhuvneshwar is just a couple of wickets away from becoming the second bowler to take 200 or more wickets in the IPL and being the first pacer to do so. With 221 scalps in 174 matches at an average of 22.76, including eight four-wicket hauls and a five-wicket hauls, Punjab Kings (PBKS) star Yuzi Chahal is the tournament's leading wicket-taker.

Paddikal, who played a crucial role at number three last season, also joined the team, looking all set and determined to 'control the game'.

'Back to #PlayBold. Back to control the game. Debuted in 2020. Still ours in 2026. Bengaluru's very own, StarBoy, Devdutt Padikkal is all set for #IPL2026!,' posted RCB on X.

https://x.com/RCBTweets/status/2034139951399637235

Ruled out of the tournament towards the backend due to an injury, Paddikal was crucial in RCB's success, with 247 runs in 10 innings at an average of 27.44, with a strike rate of 150.60 and two fifties.

Padikkal is heading into the season after a memorable domestic season, scoring 543 runs in six matches and 10 innings at an average of 60.33, including two centuries and a fifty in his side's runners-up finish in Ranji Trophy, which included a marathon 330-ball 232 against Uttarakhand in the semifinal.

He was at his absolute lethal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), the premier state 50-over competition, emerging as the second-highest run-getter with 725 runs in nine innings at an average of 90.62, including four centuries and two fifties. The left-hander's brilliant strokeplay and consistency was crucial in the team's semifinal run.

In six Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) matches, a T20 tournament, Padikkal slammed 309 runs in six innings at an average of 61.80 and a strike rate of 167.02, with a century and two fifties. But his team failed to reach the knockout stages. (ANI)