Pathan Says Kohli Will Be “Hungrier Than Ever” as RCB Begin IPL 2026 Title Defense
NEW DELHI — Former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan believes Virat Kohli will be “hungrier than ever” as Royal Challengers Bangalore attempt to defend their Indian Premier League title in the 2026 season.
RCB captured their first IPL championship in 2025, with Kohli playing a key role in the triumph. The star batter scored 43 runs in the final against Punjab Kings and finished the season as the team’s leading run-scorer with 657 runs in 15 matches.
“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,” Pathan said on JioStar.
Pathan added that Kohli’s determination has also been visible in his recent international performances.
“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.
Royal Challengers Bangalore are scheduled to open the IPL 2026 season against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The venue was recently cleared by the Karnataka government to host IPL matches after competitive cricket had been suspended there following a stampede during RCB’s IPL victory celebrations in June 2025 that resulted in the deaths of 11 people.
However, matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium will proceed only if the venue receives final approval from an expert committee set up by the Karnataka state government, which is expected to review safety arrangements on Friday.
Pathan also backed left-handed batter Devdutt Padikkal to play a major role in RCB’s campaign this season. Padikkal scored 247 runs in 10 matches last season 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 said.
Pathan also noted that the franchise has evolved from earlier seasons when it relied heavily on a few star players.
“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,” he said.
He added that the team also has depth in its bowling attack if injuries affect key players such as Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood.
“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,” Pathan said. (Source: IANS)
