IPL opener set — Kohli mentoring Cox
IPL 2026 kicks off Mar 28 with RCB hosting SRH in the opener, and RCB star Virat Kohli was even spotted giving batting tips to new overseas signing Jordan Cox during the squad’s first training session (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (sportskeeda.com).
RCB conducted its first full training at the M. Chinnaswamy on March 18, with practice shortened by rain and only a partial squad present. (sportskeeda.com) Jordan Cox was bought in the IPL 2026 auction for ₹75 lakh and was acquired during the December 16, 2025 auction in Abu Dhabi. (ticketprice.in) At that March 18 session Virat Kohli was photographed talking technique with Cox and demonstrating batting movements while Cox watched closely in RCB training kit. (sportskeeda.com) RCB’s 2026 roster already lists multiple established overseas options — including Phil Salt, Tim David, Josh Hazlewood and Jacob Duffy — which increases competition for Cox to earn a match spot. (espncricinfo.com) Reports note Cox has played 178 T20s, scoring 4,045 runs at a strike rate of 140.15 with only six T20Is for England, framing him as a seasoned short-format batter despite no prior IPL experience. (sportskeeda.com) Venue clearance for matches at the Chinnaswamy remains conditional on an expert committee inspection convened by the Karnataka government after last year’s stadium incidents. (espn.ph)
