Star batter Virat Kohli has joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Kohli linked up with the team on Saturday in Bengaluru and is set to begin training soon. RCB shared a video of Kohli’s arrival, which went viral within minutes. In the clip, he can be seen sporting the team’s attire and making a bold statement: "No.18 is ready for season 18." The franchise captioned the post, "The King is here, and like always, he’s 2 steps (sometimes a LOT more) ahead of everyone. D̶o̶n̶ Virat ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi… You know the rest."
Kohli arrives after a remarkable campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where he played a key role in India’s title-winning run at Dubai International Stadium. Though he started the tournament with a low score, he quickly found his rhythm. His standout performance came against Pakistan, where he smashed a match-winning century. In the semi-final against Australia, he delivered another crucial knock, scoring 84 under pressure. Kohli ended the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer, amassing over 200 runs. Kohli is expected to play a crucial role for RCB this season under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, who was recently named captain. Reports suggested Kohli was in contention for the role, but the team opted for a younger leader.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on March 22.
