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AB de Villiers believes a “squad of fighters” will ease pressure on Virat Kohli, helping RCB defend their IPL 2026 title. Anil Kumble hints at new shots from Kohli.
Virat Kohli’s RCB are the defending IPL champions. (PTI Photo)
AB de Villiers, the legendary South African batsman, asserts that a “squad of fighters” will ease the pressure on Virat Kohli, propelling Royal Challengers Bengaluru to retain their IPL 2026 crown. Kohli remains a cornerstone of the RCB team as they aim to defend their maiden title secured last season after an 18-year wait.
“Virat can feel that, he can sense that he is not the only one carrying the load anymore,” former RCB batter de Villiers told JioStar.
“He has a squad of fighters around him, all gunning to win the trophy. I think they are in a really good place. It’s a similar squad, they didn’t have to change much, and they have good reason to believe they can go all the way again this coming season,” he added.
Despite Kohli taking a break since mid-January, de Villiers is confident that the Indian star will enter the IPL well-prepared. “He has the best work ethic I have ever seen in my life. He will not come into the tournament undercooked. If he doesn’t play well, it will purely be down to form or maybe a technical error,” de Villiers said.
De Villiers also believes that RCB is now in a position to consistently challenge for titles.
“You will remember him (Kohli) speaking about it often in the dressing room, ‘If we can win one, we are going to win two, three, four quickly.’ I truly believe that. I feel RCB are in that zone now where they can go bang, bang, bang… perhaps two or three trophies in a row,” he said.
India’s cricket icon, Anil Kumble, suggested that Kohli might unveil some new shots this IPL season.
“Don’t be surprised if he comes into this season with a different outlook, perhaps trying something like the scoop shot or the reverse scoop,” Kumble said.
“We have seen AB de Villiers do that consistently over the years, and Virat could add that to his batting repertoire as well. Great players like him are constantly looking to evolve, improve, and challenge themselves.”
(With Agency Inputs)
March 18, 2026, 22:19 IST
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