Virat Kohli Laughs Offs “Chartered Flights To London” Reports

Bengaluru: India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting icon Virat Kohli has rubbished reports that he has requested RCB management for access to charter flights between India and London during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.

The season will kick off with the defending champions taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bengaluru from March 28. Earlier reports had suggested that Virat, who has largely settled in London over the last few years, had requested RCB for access to charter flights between India and London, and if the gap between his squad was more than three days, he would fly back to England to spend time with his family and return before the match. However, the rumors and reports were put to rest by Virat. Virat posted one of these reports on his Instagram story along with laughing emojis, stating that these reports were ultimately false.

After the man at number 18 clinched his maiden IPL title in his 18th season as a loyal RCBian, Virat will be looking at another torrid season with the bat that will keep the crowds happy and the statisticians busy.

Virat, who has now reached 8,661 runs in 267 matches with eight centuries and 63 fifties, will also aim to become the first player in IPL history to reach the 9,000-run mark.

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

Virat, who has scored 13,543 runs in 414 T20Is, including nine centuries and 105 fifties, is also aiming to join West Indies greats 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. 14,000 run club in T20 cricket.

Last season, Virat scored 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and eight fifties at a strike rate of 144.71, finishing as the team’s leading run-scorer and the third-highest run-getter overall.