Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 21 (ANI): As the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) prepare to defend their Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli gave his team a motivational pep talk, urging his team to stay switched on and not waste their days while training as it is only going to get tougher for them during the title defence.

RCB will kick off their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. After the man in number 18 secured his first IPL title during his 18th season as a loyal RCBian, Virat will be eyeing another fiery season with the bat that would keep the crowds happy and statisticians busy.

RCB has resumed their training as they returned to their home turf with renewed focus and intensity to kick off preparations.

Addressing the team during the first practice session of the season, Virat said, as quoted by RCB's press release, 'We worked really hard over the last two to three seasons to achieve what we did last year, and it is only going to get tougher because other teams are going to come hard at us.'

Emphasising the need to maintain high standards from the outset, he added, 'We do not waste these days. We stay ahead. So switch on now. Let us 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.'

The session also marked the coming together of a reinforced squad, with Head Coach Andy Flower welcoming new additions including Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal and Satvik Deswal, while also extending a special mention to Under-19 World Cup winners Kanishk Chouhan and Vihaan Malhotra.

'We had an interesting auction, and I think we have improved our squad, to be quite frank. We have brought in some great new additions. Integrating them into the RCB way alongside established players led by Virat and Rajat (Patidar) is an exciting part of building this team,' said Flower.

'There is one difference this year, we have got a star on our shirt. That is a very proud feeling for all RCB fans. But that season is gone. Now we have a new challenge ahead, and it's an exciting one. We are here to win this year's IPL,' he continued.

Reflecting the energy within the group, wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma shared his excitement about joining the setup.

'Everyone was very excited to meet each other. I was excited to get more batting time. I got a chance to meet all the coaches and train again,' he said.

Head Coach Flower also spoke about the advantage of starting the season at home.

'Our first game is here at Chinnaswamy, which is a fantastic opportunity for us to build momentum early and be welcomed by our home fans. The outfield is looking superb, lush, green and beautiful,' said Flower. (ANI)