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IPL 2026: In less than a fortnight, spotlight would be on Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They are the defending champions and Kohli would be back to playing the shortest version. Over the years, RCB has been one of the most popular sides despite not winning the silverware for 17 seasons. Now that they have won the title finally, the team would be grabbing eyeballs for sure. 

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Gayle-Kohli as Openers

Ahead of the season, Kohli, who has been part of the franchise since it's inception, picked his all-time RCB XI. The list features some of the greats of the game who have played for the franchise at some point in their career. He picked himself and former West Indies great Chris Gayle. He then picked his dear friend AB De Villiers for the crucial No. 3 spot. At No. 4 and 5, he had KL Rahul and Rajat Patidar. And the finishers in his side were Dinesh Karthik and Harshal Patel. He also picked a couple of specialist spinners in his XI in Anil Kumble andf Yuzvendra Chahal. Finally, his two pacers were Dale Steyn and Mitchell Starc. 

Kohli's All-Time RCB XI: Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, AB De Villiers, KL Rahul, Rajat Patidar, Dinesh Karthik, Harshal Patel, Anil Kumble, Mitchell Starc, Dale Steyn, Yuzvendra Chahal

This season would be interesting as they would be looking to defend their title. They would believe they are one of the hot contenders this season as they have managed to hold onto their core. RCB play the IPL 2026 tournament opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28.