India batter Virat Kohli on Sunday dismissed rumours around making “big demands” to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including claims that he sought chartered flights between India and London during the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
Virat Kohli during a training session ahead of IPL 2026 season
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The speculation stemmed from a social media post, which Kohli himself shared on his Instagram story, alleging that he had placed two major conditions before the franchise. One, access to chartered flights between India and London; and two, permission to visit his family in London whenever there was a gap of three or more days between matches.
“Virat Kohli's big demands: According to reports, Kohli had asked RCB management for chartered flight access between India and London. If there's a gap of more than three days between matches, he plans to fly out to London and return just before the next game,” the post read.
Kohli, however, brushed aside the claims with a characteristically light response — posting just two laughing emojis on his Instagram story, effectively shutting down the chatter.
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Kohli, however, brushed aside the claims with a characteristically light response — posting just two laughing emojis on his Instagram story, effectively shutting down the chatter.
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Virat Kohli's reaction to the rumours
Fresh off leading RCB to their maiden IPL title last season, ending an 18-year wait, Kohli has already returned to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to begin preparations for the new campaign.
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Addressing the squad ahead of their first training session, the 35-year-old stressed the importance of maintaining the intensity that powered their title-winning run.
“We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it's only going to get tougher because other teams are going to come hard at us,” Kohli said.
Emphasising urgency from day one, he added: “We don’t waste these days. We stay ahead. So, switch on now. Let’s not waste even a minute of any session that we are a part of. We must give our 120 per cent for these two and a half months.”
RCB will begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a home fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28.
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The franchise also strengthened their squad at the auction, bringing in players like Venkatesh Iyer, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal and Satvik Deswal.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/Virat Kohli reacts to reports of demanding chartered flight from RCB for travelling back and forth to London during IPL
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