IPL 2026: RCB Intra-Squad Match Sees 80 From Key Batsman

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) preparations for the defence of their IPL title have already taken a sparklish turn, with a senior batter smashing 80 off 35 in an intra‑squad practice match ahead of IPL 2026, while captain Virat Kohli came in late and delivered a sharp, high‑impact cameo. The warm‑up game, played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, saw both “teams” cross 200 runs in a 20‑over contest, underlining the firepower available to RCB as they gear up to open their title‑defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28.

The batter who lit up the nets is wicketkeeper‑batter Jitesh Sharma, who slammed 81 off just 37 balls in a high‑scoring intra‑squad fixture, flashing his clean‑hitting ability against both spin and pace. Sharma’s knock came for the side led by Venkatesh Iyer, which posted 234 for 7 in its 20 overs, with Sharma’s brutal assault on the leg side and his wristy finish in the middle overs drawing particular praise from the coaching staff. Team‑mates such as Tim David (36 off 14) and Venkatesh (30 off 16) also contributed heavily, while skipper Rajat Patidar was not part of that batting card but loomed large in the other half of the match.

On the opposite side, Rajat Patidar, who is expected to play a key role in the middle order, led the second unit and blazed his way to 74 off just 25 deliveries, clearing the ropes multiple times and binding the innings together. Devdutt Padikkal and Krunal Pandya also reached fifties in the same innings, which racked up 247 runs in 20 overs, underscoring RCB’s depth in the middle and lower order. The session log noted that several youngsters chipped in with cameos, while bowlers such as Abhinandan, Rasikh Salam, and left‑arm spinner Vicky Ostwal were also singled out for their disciplined spells.

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Amid this fireworks, Virat Kohli entered the fray in a limited‑overs format, playing a brief but explosive cameo for the side captained by Venkatesh Iyer. Batting at the top of the order, Kohli raced to 29 runs off only 12 deliveries, striking at a furious rate and showing his trademark authority through the off side and down the ground. The strike‑rate heavy knock suggested that Kohli, who finished IPL 2025 with 657 runs at an average strike rate of almost 145, is attempting to carry that aggressive template into the 2026 season.

Kohli has been training consistently at the Chinnaswamy nets since joining the RCB camp in mid‑March, and footage from practice sessions shows him cutting loose with his feet‑forward and deep‑in‑the‑crease shots, often targeting the shorter boundaries. Coaching staff have described his recent outings as “high‑output” and “match‑like,” aimed at fine‑tuning power‑play intent rather than just accumulating runs. For a side still integrating new owners and fresh backing, Kohli’s form‑and‑intent message from this intra‑squad match is likely to carry as much weight as the headline‑grabbing 80 of his teammate.

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