Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli was seen wearing a bandage on his leg during a training session prior to his team's Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
A video posted by LSG’s official social media account showed Kohli meeting Kane Williamson, a member of LSG’s support staff, and LSG captain Rishabh Pant while wearing the leg bandage. Reports have emerged suggesting Kohli is dealing with a leg or ankle injury.
Despite this, Kohli practised batting in the nets ahead of the match. In the four IPL matches he has played in 2026 so far, Kohli has accumulated 179 runs at an average of 59.66, with a strike rate of 162.72, including two half-centuries and a highest score of 69 not out.
In the previous game against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI), Kohli scored a 38-ball fifty containing five fours and one six, though he did not appear at his usual fluent best. After a defeat to Rajasthan Royals (RR), RCB returned to winning form with an 18-run victory over MI at Wankhede Stadium. Phil Salt contributed 78 runs off 36 balls, including six fours and six sixes, Kohli made 50 off 38 balls with five fours and one six, and Rajat Patidar scored 53 in 20 balls with four boundaries and five sixes, helping RCB reach 240 for four. MI finished on 222 for five, despite a blazing 71 not out from Sherfane Rutherford off 31 balls, hitting nine sixes and a four.
Notably, Kohli did not take the field during part of the match and was observed wearing a jacket while seated off the field.
Squads for the match are as follows:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Jacob Bethell, Swapnil Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Josh Hazlewood, Jordan Cox, Nuwan Thushara, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
Lucknow Super Giants: Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper/captain), Ayush Badoni, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Mukul Choudhary, George Linde, Mohammed Shami, Avesh Khan, Digvesh Singh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Shahbaz Ahmed, Mayank Yadav, Matthew Breetzke, Anrich Nortje, Josh Inglis, Himmat Singh, Mohsin Khan, Arjun Tendulkar, Akash Maharaj Singh, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Arshin Kulkarni, Naman Tiwari.