Former RCB star dismisses 'Match' criticism on Virat Kohli days ahead of IPL 2026 Opener

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Legendary cricketer AB de Villiers believes that the current Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) setup is no longer heavily reliant on just Virat Kohli. Ahead of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the former South African captain expressed his absolute confidence in the defending champions, noting a massive shift in the team's dynamic.

Speaking about his former teammate and close friend, de Villiers noted that Kohli is playing with much more freedom.

"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," de Villiers stated via JioStar.

"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 added.

ABD dismisses worry on Virat Kohli

Addressing concerns from some critics about Kohli's lack of recent match practice since January, De Villiers quickly dismissed the worries.

"First of all, he has the best work ethic I have ever seen in my life. So, he will not come into the tournament undercooked. If he doesn't play well, it will purely be down to form or maybe a technical error. I am expecting a great season from him. I can only imagine how hyped he must be after getting quite a bit of rest," the former South Africa cricketer quoted.

"Virat will most definitely be ready, there is no doubt about it, and RCB can actually go back-to-back. You will remember him speaking about it often in the dressing room, 'If we can win one, we are going to win two, three, four quickly.' I truly believe that. I feel RCB are in that zone now where they can go bang, bang, bang, perhaps two or three trophies in a row, who knows. I am just hoping for a really good start this season, I think that will be important for them. My advice to Virat would be to just go out there and enjoy," de Villiers concluded.