Former Royal Challengers Bangalore batter AB de Villiers has backed Virat Kohli as a key figure in the franchise, saying his role goes beyond runs and continues to influence the team.RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The team will enter the season after winning their first title last year.
“Virat definitely is still the heartbeat of the franchise. Not only through his performances and the consistency he has achieved with the bat over the years, but also through his presence and the energy he brings to the squad. The way he conducts himself on and off the field, always fighting for the team, stands out. He brings that energy and makes the youngsters believe that they can ultimately go on and win the trophy, which RCB did last year,” de Villiers told JioHotstar, as cited by news agency IANS.De Villiers said the difference last season was the contribution from multiple players instead of relying on a few.“What I liked about last season, yes, he was one of the main run-scorers in the team, as openers usually are, but there were other players who stepped in. In the past, RCB were often guilty of relying on just two, three, or four players performing consistently. This time, I felt the entire team chipped in,” he added.Referring to the IPL 2025 final, where RCB won their first title, he pointed to the role played by others in the batting line-up.“The final is a great example, with Virat scoring 43 runs off 35 balls. But it was actually Patidar, Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, and Romario Shepherd who scored at a high strike rate and helped the team post 190-plus, ultimately winning the game. Krunal Pandya also chipped in with the ball.”He said the team now has better support around Kohli.“That’s my point, players contributing like that throughout the season, and the bowling attack stepping up. Virat can feel that; he can sense that he is not the only one carrying the load anymore. He has a squad of fighters around him, all gunning to win the trophy. I think they are in a really good place. It’s a similar squad, they didn’t have to change much, and they have good reason to believe they can go all the way again this coming season,” he said.
