Virat Kohli laughs offs "chartered flights to London" reports ahead of IPL 2026

The season will start with the defending champions in action against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Bengaluru from March 28.

Earlier, reports had suggested that Virat, who has largely settled in London over last few years, had asked RCB for access to chartered flights between India and London and that if the gap between his team was more than three days, he would fly back to the UK to spend time with family and return ahead of the game. However, the rumours and reports have been put to rest by Virat.

Taking to Instagram, Virat posted one of these reports on his story along with laughing emojis, indicating that these reports are, after all, false.

After the man in number 18 secured his first IPL title during his 18th season as a loyal RCBian, Virat will be eyeing another fiery season with the bat that would keep the crowds happy and statisticians busy.

Currently at 8,661 runs in 267 matches with eight centuries and 63 fifties, Virat will also be aiming to become the first player to reach the 9,000 run mark in IPL history.

Having made 9,085 runs in 282 matches for RCB across IPL and now-defunct Champions League T20, Virat is one extraordinary season away from becoming the first-ever player to score 10,000 runs for a single IPL team in all of T20 cricket.

Having made 13,543 runs in 414 T20Is, including nine centuries and 105 fifties, Virat will also be aiming to join West Indies titans Chris Gayle (14,562 runs), Kieron Pollard (14,482 runs), England's Alex Hales (14,449 runs), and Australian legend David Warner (14,028 runs) as the fifth member of the 14,000-run club in T20 cricket.

Last season, Virat scored 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71, with eight fifties to his name, finishing as the team's leading run-getter and third-highest run-getter overall. (ANI)