IPL 2026: Virat Kohli will be 'hungrier than ever', says Irfan Pathan

Irfan Pathan predicts Virat Kohli will be 'hungrier than ever' for RCB's IPL 2026 title defence. Pathan also highlights the improved form of Devdutt Padikkal and RCB's strong squad depth as key factors for their success in the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will enter the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season as defending champions, aiming to win back-to-back titles, and the former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that Virat Kohli will play a big role in that.

'Hungrier Than Ever': Pathan on Kohli's Drive

Speaking on JioHotstar, Irfan Pathan shared his thoughts on Virat Kohli's hunger to win. The 37-year-old Kohli played a vital role in RCB's title win last season, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. He finished among the top run-scorers in the tournament, contributing significantly with 66 fours and multiple fifty-plus scores.

Speaking on Kohli, the former Indian all-rounder said, "The hunger in Virat Kohli will be there. In fact, he will be hungrier than ever, especially after lifting the IPL trophy last season. He will want to win back-to-back IPL trophies. That hunger in him to win and create an impact is always going to be there."

"We have seen that when he played for India, especially in the one-day series against South Africa and New Zealand. He looks like he wants to make an impact in every game. I think he will have the same kind of passion when he comes back this season. He will want to lift the trophy once again," he said.

RCB's Evolved Squad Strength

In the 2025 IPL season, Devdutt Padikkal scored 247 runs in 10 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) before being ruled out due to a hamstring injury. He maintained a strike rate of 150.61, scoring two half-centuries, with a highest score of 61.

'A Very Improved Player'

On Padikkal's improved form, Pathan siad, "Devdutt Padikkal is going to play a major role in RCB's success in IPL 2026. He has scored runs left, right and centre in domestic cricket across all formats. He looks like a very improved player. There was a time when he was struggling, wasn't getting his timing right. But that is in the past now. Devdutt Padikkal is a different, very confident player now.

Depth and Injury Cover

What I really like about RCB is that earlier they used to rely heavily on Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle to win matches." "That has changed now. Their whole playing XI is full of match-winners. That is a fantastic thing. But going into IPL 2026, RCB will have some injury concerns, especially with Josh Hazlewood's fitness. The good thing is they have secured good backups. The duo of Nuwan Thushara and Jacob Duffy can cover well for Hazlewood if he faces fitness issues. That makes RCB even stronger," Pathan concluded. (ANI)

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