“We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it’s only going to get tougher because the other teams are going to come hard at us,” Kohli said.“We don’t waste these days. We stay ahead. So, switch on now. Let’s not waste even a minute of every session we are part of. We must give our 120% for these two and a half months. I can see from everyone’s faces that we are excited enough to be challengers.”RCB enter the new campaign as reigning champions after clinching their maiden title in 2025, when they edged past Punjab Kings by six runs in the final in Ahmedabad.Looking ahead, head coach Andy Flower expressed confidence in the squad assembled at the auction, highlighting both the fresh additions and the core group led by Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar.“We had an interesting auction. I think we’ve improved our squad, to be quite frank. We brought in some great new additions. Integrating those players into the RCB way, alongside some of the established names led by Virat and Rajat, is an exciting part of building a new team together,” Flower said.Kohli will also have a significant personal milestone in sight. The veteran batter, who has amassed 8,661 runs in 267 IPL matches, including eight centuries and 63 half-centuries, is closing in on becoming the first player in the league’s history to breach the 9,000-run mark.