Published: Mar 12, 2026, 05:33 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 12, 2026, 05:33 PM (IST)
Former India pacer Irfan Pathan believes Virat Kohli is going to be extra motivated this season. After finally helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lift their first-ever IPL trophy in 2025, Kohli will be chasing history – winning back-to-back titles.
Kohli was massive in that 2025 triumph. He smashed 43 in the final against Punjab Kings and finished as RCB’s top run-scorer with 657 runs in 15 matches.
Pathan shared his thoughts on JioStar and said Kohli’s fire is burning brighter than ever.
“The hunger in Virat Kohli will be there. In fact, he will be hungrier than ever, especially after lifting the IPL trophy last season. He will want to win back-to-back IPL trophies. That hunger in him to win and create an impact is always going to be there,” said Pathan on JioStar.
Pathan pointed out how Kohli has been carrying the same intensity in recent international games.
“We have seen that when he played for India, especially in the one-day series against South Africa and New Zealand. He looks like he wants to make an impact in every game. I think he will have the same kind of passion when he comes back this season. He will want to lift the trophy once again,” he said.
RCB kick off IPL 2026 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The venue got the green light from the Karnataka government after no big cricket was allowed there following a tragic stampede during the 2025 victory celebrations, which sadly claimed 11 lives.
All Chinnaswamy matches this season will only go ahead if an expert committee set up by the Karnataka government gives final clearance on Friday.
Pathan is really excited about Devdutt Padikkal stepping up as a key player for RCB in 2026. The left-handed opener had a solid run in 2025, scoring 247 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 150.60.
“Devdutt Padikkal is going to play a major role in RCB’s success in IPL 2026. He has scored runs left, right and centre in domestic cricket across all formats. He looks like a very improved player. There was a time when he was struggling, wasn’t getting his timing right. But that is in the past now. Devdutt Padikkal is a different, very confident player now.”
Pathan loves how RCB have changed from the old days when they depended heavily on Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle.
“What I really like about RCB is that earlier they used to rely heavily on Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle to win matches. That has changed now. Their whole playing XI is full of match-winners. That is a fantastic thing.“
There are some injury worries around Josh Hazlewood, but Pathan feels RCB are well covered.
“But going into IPL 2026, RCB will have some injury concerns, especially with Josh Hazlewood’s fitness. The good thing is they have secured good backups. The duo of Nuwan Thushara and Jacob Duffy can cover well for Hazlewood if he faces fitness issues. That makes RCB even stronger.”
