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In RCB’s first warm-up match ahead of IPL 2026, Jitesh Sharma smashed 81 off 37 balls, Rajat Patidar scored 74 off 25, and Virat Kohli played a 12-ball 29 cameo. The high-scoring game saw contributions from Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, and Krunal Pandya, while coach Andy Flower praised the youngsters’ performances with both bat and ball.

Bengaluru: Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma scored a 37-ball 81, skipper Rajat Patidar got a blazing 25-ball 74, while superstar batter Virat Kohli played a quick 12-ball 29 run cameo in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) first warm-up match ahead of their title defence starting from March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

Before kickstarting their IPL title defence against Men in Orange at home in Bengaluru, RCB batters looked in pretty good nick, even while playing brief cameos. Jitesh, Rajat, Devdutt Paddikal and Krunal Pandya were among the batters to have scored fifties.

Batting first, team led by Venkatesh Iyer posted 234/7, with Jitesh (81 in 37 balls), Tim David (36 in 14 balls), Iyer (30 in 16 balls) and Virat (29 in 12 balls) dominating the scorecard. In their 20 overs, the other team, led by Krunal, fired 247 runs, with Rajat (74 in 25 balls), Padikkal (63 in 33 balls) and Krunal (58 in 33 balls) delivering standout performances.

Reflecting on Virat's batting, Krunal said, "Some of the shots that Virat played today were amazing. Looking good, which is a great sign for us. So, fingers crossed."