Virat Kohli will be hungrier than ever to win successive IPL trophies: Irfan Pathan
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that Virat Kohli will be hungrier than ever to win back-to-back Indian Premier League (IPL) titles. Kohli clinched his maiden IPL trophy as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the IPL 2025 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
As a result, Kohli’s 18-year wait for the elusive trophy finally ended, as he tasted victory for the first time after being associated with RCB since the inaugural season. Following his maiden triumph, Pathan believes Kohli will enter the new season with the same passion, aiming to replicate his team’s success from the previous campaign.
“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 returns this season. He will want to lift the trophy once again,” Pathan said on JioHotstar.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli was recently spotted hitting the nets ahead of IPL 2026. The Indian batting great is putting in the hard yards early as the tournament draws closer. In a video shared on his Instagram handle, Kohli was seen working on a wide range of shots.
When will IPL 2026 begin?
From aggressive lofted hits to classical drives, he went through his paces alongside a throwdown specialist. Meanwhile, RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening fixture of the season on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The franchise will play five league matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium this season and will also use the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur as a second home venue, where they will host two league matches.
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