There are only a few days left before the start of the Indian Premier League 2026, and preparations for the teams are in full swing. Virat Kohli looked in fine form with his 29 off 12 balls as defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore played their first warm-up match ahead of their title defense at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while Jitesh Sharma stole the show with 81 off 37 balls.
The team led by new additions Venkatesh Iyer (Team Venky) and Krunal Pandya (Team Krunal) performed well and judging by the scorecard, it was a tight contest. Batting first, Venky’s team posted 234 runs for seven. Apart from Jitesh and Kohli, Tim David scored 36 off just 14 balls while captain Iyer scored quick runs of 36 off 16 balls.
In reply, chasing down 235 balls, Devdutt Padikkal, who will fight for a place in the playing eleven, smashed 63 off 33 balls. Pandya contributed 58 off 33 balls but RCB captain Rajat Patidar sealed the win for Krunal with a stunning 74 off 25 balls.
Reflecting on the occasion, head coach Andy Flower said: “It’s always good to get out of the nets and into a competitive environment, so it was a very productive night. Some of the highlights were watching guys like Jitesh score 80-plus in 35 balls and Rajat hitting what we know is a beautiful shot.
Flower has also been impressed with the youngsters, especially Abhinandan Singh, whom RCB picked at the IPL 2026 auction in December last year. Singh left his mark playing for Lucknow Falcons in the UPT20 league.
“Some of the youngsters performed well too. Abhinandan was good with the ball, Rasik [Dar] The bowling was good and it was good to see Vicky Ostervall and his left-arm spin skills. So it’s a great night for everybody on the team,” Flower said.
Krunal Pandya is happy with the way Virat Kohli is batting with concentration in the middle overs. “Yes, batsman-wise, I think Jitesh bowled really well today. Some of the shots were really good. Tim David bowled really well. Venkatesh [Iyer] The batting was good, Virat was hitting the ball really well, you know, showing, intention and some shots. Virat performed amazingly today and looked good, which is a good sign for us. So keep your fingers crossed! ” he added.
RCB will begin their title defense against cross-Kaveri rivals Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
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Both teams are dealing with player absences. RCB will be without Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood in the initial stages of the tournament.
2016 champions Hyderabad have appointed Ishan Kishan as interim captain in the absence of Pat Cummins. They also have injury concerns, with Jack Edwards ruled out of the match and uncertainty surrounding Sri Lanka’s rookie Eshan Malinga.
