Virat Kohli Having reached Bengaluru well ahead of the upcoming IPL season, Royal Challengers Bangalore have been in attendance as they look to defend their title.The star batsman was at the heart of RCB’s historic win last season, scoring 657 runs at a strike rate of 144.71 and an impressive average of 54.75, which included eight half-centuries. His consistency at the top played a huge role in ending the franchise’s long wait for silverware.RCB finally broke their 18-year title drought Rajat Patidar Stepping up as a leader during the campaign. Having achieved that milestone, the focus now turns to repeating the success in what promises to be a challenging title defence.Kohli had already retired from T20 and Test. With only ODIs and IPL left, the importance of each appearance has now increased.Even at the age of 37, Kohli’s excellent performance continues. His statistics from last season underline his enduring quality, as he is one of the most complete batsmen in the format, capable of anchoring and adding pace as required.His recent ODI form further highlights his consistency. Against South Africa, Kohli scored 135 runs from 120 balls, 102 runs from 93 balls and 65 not out from 45 balls in the three-match series. After this, he scored 93 runs on 91 balls in the first ODI against New Zealand and 124 runs on 108 balls in the third ODI.RCB will begin their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.Kohli also enters this season as the IPL’s all-time leading run-scorer, with 8,661 runs in 267 matches, including a record eight centuries.