"Of course RCB because of Virat Kohli" - Indian origin Australian all-rounder expresses dream team ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Indian-origin Australian all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary has expressed his wish to play alongside Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Virat Kohli as the IPL 2026 Auction looms. The 29-year-old said he would be more than happy to play alongside the Indian talisman and that he has been one of his inspirations growing up.

Having registered as a local player in the mini auction, the all-rounder has kept his base price as ₹40 lakh. He started playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) in the 2023-24 edition and has managed 432 runs in 20 games at 22.73 alongside a strike rate of 130.12.

When asked which IPL team he dreams of representing, Chaudhary suggested that his first preference would be to play for RCB but is equally excited to reunite with his teammates Arshdeep Singh and Harpreet Brar in Punjab Kings. The Hobart Hurricanes all-rounder told India Today:

"Yeah, I’d love to play with Virat Kohli. I don’t know if it’ll ever happen, but if it does, I’d be more than happy. Apart from that, I’d really like to play with my old teammates from my Punjab days - guys like Arshdeep and Harpreet Brar. So playing for Punjab in an upcoming IPL would be special. I also have my friend Abhishek Sharma in Hyderabad, so that would be great too. If I think about playing alongside a legend, then of course RCB because of Virat Kohli. But if I think about reuniting with my teammates, then Punjab would be my first choice."

Born in Delhi, the spin-bowling all-rounder moved to Punjab and played domestic cricket for them from 2016-17 to 2019-20 season.

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"He changed everything" - Nikhil Chaudhary credits Virat Kohli for changing mindset and fitness standards

Nikhil Chaudhary has been a regular for the Hobart Hurricanes (Image Credits: Getty)

When asked about his cricketing idol growing up, he revealed watching Kevin Pietersen's videos from the Ashes series and credited Kohli for bringing an attacking mindset on the field. He added:

"I’d say it started with Kevin Pietersen. He was the one player who really gave me that extra hype before games. Watching his videos from the Ashes and other Test matches — the way he played was completely different for that era. No one batted like that back then, and he just stood out. And after that, of course, Virat Kohli. He changed everything — the approach, the mindset, the fitness standards."

The IPL 2026 Auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.