IPL 2026: Jitesh smokes 81 off 37; Kohli strikes at 241 in RCB warm-up

With the commencement of the Indian Premier League 2026 conscionable days away, preparations are successful afloat plaything for each the teams. At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru played their archetypal warm-up crippled up of their rubric defence with Virat Kohli looking successful bully interaction with a breezy 29 disconnected 12 balls, portion Jitesh Sharma stole the amusement with a blistering 81 disconnected conscionable 37 deliveries.The teams, led by caller enlistee Venkatesh Iyer (Team Venky) and Krunal Pandya (Team Krunal), enactment successful a coagulated outing, and going by the scorecard, it was a run-fest. Batting first, Team Venky posted 234 for seven. Apart from Jitesh and Kohli, Tim David hammered 36 disconnected conscionable 14 balls, portion skipper Iyer chipped successful with a quickfire 36 disconnected 16.In reply, chasing 235, Devdutt Padikkal - who volition beryllium pushing for a spot successful the playing XI - struck 63 disconnected 33 balls. Pandya contributed 58 disconnected 33, but it was RCB skipper

Rajat Patidar

who sealed the triumph for Team Krunal with a stunning 74 disconnected 25 balls.

Reflecting connected the outing, caput manager Andy Flower said, “It is ever bully to get retired of the nets and into competitory situations, truthful it was a truly productive evening. Some of the highlights were watching guys similar Jitesh scoring 80-odd disconnected 35 balls, and Rajat hitting beauteous shots arsenic we cognize helium can.Flower was besides impressed by the youngsters peculiarly Abhinandan Singh, picked by RCB astatine the IPL 2026 Auction past December.

Singh made his people astatine the UPT20 league playing for Lucknow Falcons. “Some of the youngsters performed good too. Abhinandan was bully with the ball, Rasikh [Dar] bowled well, and it was bully to spot Vicky Ostwal and his accomplishment with left-arm spin. So that was a large night’s enactment for everyone successful the squad,” said Flower. Krunal Pandya was blessed with however Virat Kohli looked retired determination successful the middle, batting with intent. “Yeah, from batters, I conjecture Jitesh played truly good today.

Some of immoderate of the shots were amazing. Tim David played truly well. Venkatesh [Iyer] batted well, Virat batted truly good you know, coming retired and the intent and immoderate of the shots. What Virat played contiguous was amazing, looking good, which is simply a large motion for us.

So fingers crossed!,” helium added. RCB volition statesman their rubric defence astatine location astatine the M Chinnaswamy Stadium successful Bengaluru, with the play opener against their trans-Kaveri rivals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, connected March 28.Both teams are dealing with subordinate unavailability. RCB volition beryllium without Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for the archetypal stages of the tournament.The 2016 champions Hyderabad person named Ishan Kishan arsenic interim skipper successful the lack of

Pat Cummins

. They besides person wounded concerns, with Jack Edwards ruled retired of the tourney and uncertainty implicit Sri Lankan gait enlistee Eshan Malinga.