Returning to T20 cricket for the first time since last year's IPL final on June 3, Kohli showed no signs of rust, smashing his 28th IPL half-century (69 not out off 38 balls)
Patidar, who led from the front with 12-ball-31, called it a collective effort while singling out Kohli's chase-defining 38-ball-69 not out and debutant Jacob Duffy's impact with the new ball.
Kohli, who made a 38-ball-69 with five maximums and equal number of boundaries, showed that stepping away from the game at regular intervals has been crucial in maintaining peak performance
The right-handed batter achieved this historic feat during the IPL 2026 opener between the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Kohli was RCB's leading run-getter last year, scoring 657 runs when the franchise landed its maiden IPL trophy
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Addressing the squad during their first practice session at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli underlined the need to maintain the intensity that brought them the title last year
Kohli remains a vital cog in the RCB set-up and they will look to defend their maiden title which they won last season after a long wait of 18 years
From blockbuster player moves to legendary returns and defending champions looking to prove a point, there is no shortage of reasons for fans to be excited.
Kohli had announced his retirement from the shortest format after guiding India to a drought ending ICC title in Barbados back in June 2024.
RCB will enter the upcoming IPL as defending champions, having won their maiden title last season after a long wait of 18 years.
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His hundred came in just 91 deliveries which consisted of him switching gears at times to try and stable things for the side.
This is the 11th time Kohli has held the top ODI batting ranking. He first reached the summit in October 2013 and has now spent a cumulative 825 days at No. 1, the most by any Indian batter