Virat Kohli has made a thunderous return to the Indian Premier League, delivering a match-winning performance for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their 2026 season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The iconic batter appears fully focused on helping RCB defend the title they famously secured last season. Kohli entered the tournament without a lengthy preparatory camp, having spent time in England following India’s ODI series in January. While his decision to spend more time in London with his family to avoid the constant Indian spotlight has been a topic of discussion, it has clearly not hindered his on-field prowess.
However, Kohli’s shift of base to the United Kingdom has sparked significant chatter on social media, with some fans and critics taking jabs at his residency. During a recent video segment with RCB, the former India captain addressed these comments while interacting with Danish Sait’s popular character, Mr. Nags. Sait quipped, “People are saying RCB are playing five overseas players, I am not understanding what they are saying actually.”
Responding with a subtle smile, Kohli remarked:
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“I don’t know, why are you asking me? Ask the overseas players. I am not an overseas player. Am I an overseas player?”
Mr.Nags talks on London jokes with virat kohli pic.twitter.com/bHxTbNZvRO
— Tyrion (@Tyrion_Impp) April 4, 2026
Relief After the Long Wait for Silverware
Reflecting on his journey with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which spanned 18 seasons before finally reaching the summit last year, Kohli described the immense emotional weight that was lifted once the franchise finally secured the trophy.
“I had heard of this statement or this saying, four years, monkey off the back. That night I really felt what it means. Everything became light,” he added.
The True Meaning of Triumph
Having achieved sustained success across all three formats of the game, Kohli offered a deep perspective on what winning signifies to an athlete. He explained that victory serves as a validation of the years of dedication and personal sacrifices required to compete at the highest level.
According to Kohli:
“Victory is the accumulation of hard work, all the sacrifices you’ve made, to be committed to the sport. It all comes together as a form of assurance, a reward, to know that you haven’t wasted your time. A lot of people learn from losses, but a lot of people can get very disheartened as well. So when you win after a lot of hard work, it makes you feel a sense of justice to the work that you put in, and also gives you motivation to work harder.”
RCB who won their first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad will now face Chennai Super Kings on Sunday in a high octane match.
RCB squad
Full squad: Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra
CSK squad
Full squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), M.S. Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brewis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshuil Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Mathew William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.
