During RCB's first nets session for IPL 2026, teammates Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an intense face-off. A video of Bhuvneshwar bowling a lethal yorker that floored Kohli went viral, sparking a debate among fans about whether it was a perfect delivery or a wide ball.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammates Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar faced off against each other during the team’s first nets session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 18. The RCB, the defending champions, will kick-start their IPL title defence against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2026 season opener at the same venue on March 28.
The RCB players assembled at their home ground and Bengaluru’s iconic venue in high spirits, as they begin their preparations for the title defence. As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are heading into the tournament for the first time as the defending champions, the mood has been upbeat yet competitive on the practice front, with the bowlers and batters testing each other’s skills in the nets.
The focus from the nets session was Virat Kohli, who set to make his comeback to competitive cricket after two months, with his last appearance coming in the ODI series against New Zealand in January, and he was India’s highest run-getter with 240 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 80 and a strike rate of 105.26 in three matches.
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Bhuvneshwar Floors Kohli with Lethal Yorker
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an hour-long nets session, where both displayed their skills and competitive spirit. However, what caught the attention was the lethal yorker delivered by the left-arm pacer to the ace batter, who was completely beaten by the delivery.
In a video that went viral on social media, Kohli was seen misjudging the line and length and being beaten by Bhuvneshwar’s toe‑crushing delivery. The former RCB captain was completely floored by his former Indian teammate’s yorker, which had inhuman pace and pinpoint accuracy, leaving even a seasoned batter like Kohli momentarily beaten.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is often known for his swing bowling and deadly yorkers, making him a constant threat even in practice sessions, as he keeps batsmen like Kohli on their toes. The ace batter was careful while facing the left-arm pacer in the nets as he adjusted his stance and timing, focusing on precision and technique to counter Bhuvneshwar’s lethal deliveries.
Bhuvneshwar returned to Royal Challengers Bengaluru after 15 long years in the last IPL season, after the franchise acquired his services for INR 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Despite being out of the Indian team setup across formats since 2022, Bhuvneshwar Kumar looked in full rhythm in the nets, making him a vital player for RCB heading into the IPL 2026.
Perfect Yorker or Wide Ball? Fans Debate
The viral video of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lethal yorker to Virat Kohli in the RCB nets sparked a debate on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), with fans and cricket enthusiasts debating whether it was a perfect yorker or a wide ball by the left-arm Indian pacer.
Taking to their X handles, fans and cricket enthusiasts were divided, with many insisting that it was a wide ball, pointing out that the delivery was down the leg, out of Kohli’s normal reach, and left him with no opportunity to play a shot, while others praised Bhuvneshwar’s skill, calling him ‘master of yorkers’, and lauded the delivery as a perfectly timed and toe crushing yorker.
Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a crucial role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden IPL triumph, defeating Punjab Kings in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on June 3.
Kohli was the RCB’s highest run-getter with 657 runs, including eight fifties, at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71 in 15 matches. Bhuvneshwar, on the other hand, was the joint-second highest wicket-taker for the team, with 17 wickets at an average of 28.41 and an economy rate of 9.28 in 14 matches.
