Virat Kohli, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar join RCB camp today:Ishan Kishan set to lead SRH in Pat Cummins’ absence

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have received a major boost ahead of the IPL 2026 season as star players Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Devdutt Padikkal joined the squad today. The team is preparing to defend their title after a historic triumph last season. RCB has shared a post on their ‘X’ handle and announced the grand arrival of ‘King’ Kohli in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, as per the latest update, Ishan Kishan is likely to lead SRH in the absence of Pat Cummins at the initial stage of the tournament. Sunrisers Hyderabad will begin their campaign against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, in the season opener of IPL 2026. Virat Kohli’s grand arrival in Bengaluru excites fans RCB shared Kohli’s arrival creatively on social media, posting: “You don’t have to see him… to know he’s coming! Check the calendar. There will be signs… #PlayBold RCB #IPL2026”. Fans quickly spotted signs of their star player’s return, including his iconic jersey number 18 appearing at a traffic signal. Supporters were also seen rushing to catch a glimpse of Kohli. After finally winning his maiden IPL Championship last season against the Punjab Kings, Kohli is expected to play with more freedom this year. He is currently the highest run-scorer in IPL history with 8,661 runs and is closing in on the 9,000-run milestone. Another strong season could also see him become the first player to score 10,000 T20 runs for a single franchise. Also read: ‘Like Virat Kohli admired Sachin Tendulkar’: Ramit Tandon on squash culture in India, sets sights on LA 2028 Olympics Bhuvneshwar nears historic milestone in IPL 2026 Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar also joined the squad, with RCB posting: “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.” Bhuvneshwar was impressive last season, picking up 17 wickets in 14 matches. With 198 IPL wickets to his name, he is just two wickets away from reaching the 200-wicket mark, which would make him the first fast bowler to achieve this milestone in the league. Currently, Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for most IPL wickets, but Bhuvneshwar is close to creating his own piece of history. Also read: Jasprit Bumrah to receive ₹2 crore ‘compensation’: BCCI to reintroduce A+ category for central contracts – report Ishan Kishan to lead SRH in Pat Cummins’ absence Ishan Kishan is set to lead Sunrisers Hyderabad for the first few matches of IPL 2026 in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins, who is still recovering from a back injury. During this period, Abhishek Sharma will take on the role of vice-captain and support Kishan in leadership duties. It is still uncertain how many games Cummins will miss, but reports suggest he may sit out the opening three matches. The Australian skipper is expected to join the SRH squad on March 23 and will undergo rehabilitation with the team in India before making his return to action.