Tilak Varma and Virat Kohli in frame (x.com/Iqr_a56)
The highly-octane T20 World Cup 2026 has ended with India lifting the trophy for the record third time, and now all the eyeballs are on the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026).
On Wednesday evening, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, which has doubled the buzz among the fans. The upcoming season will begin on March 28, when the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Mumbai Indians mock Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Not only fans, but the franchises have started to showcase their excitement after the IPL 2026 schedule announcement.
The five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, have decided to mock the defending champions with a savage post on their social media handle. MI replied to a six-month post of RCB, where they praised Tilak Varma's iconic 69*-run knock against Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup.
Responding to RCB's viral, which captioned "Tum Namak nhi Chandan ho Varma! Tum Tilak Bharat ke mathe ka" (You are India's pride, Tilak) - Mumbai challenged Bengaluru, saying "Humaara Tilak hai toh chandan ka! April 12, Wankhede pe" (Our Tilak is highly valued. See you on April 12 at Wankhede).
Interestingly, both the captions are from the epic historical action film, Chhaava.
Read More: Mumbai Indians IPL Schedule 2026 - Fixtures, Venues, Full Squad, Date And Time
Here's what RCB posted while praising Tilak Varma:
Here's what MI replied:
Who MI, RCB will play in first phase?
Interestingly, as per the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, the Mumbai Indians will host the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 12. Meanwhile, the play their opening game against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29 at home, before flying out to Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals in Delhi and Assam, respectively.
Meanwhile, RCB, after playing the IPL 2026 opener, will host Chennai Super Kings on April 5, before taking on the fellow one-time winners, RR, in Assam on April 10.
As of yet, the BCCI has unveiled the IPL 2026 schedule for the first phase, comprising the initial 20 games, while the rest will be announced as soon as the Election Commission reveals the election dates for the West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu polls.
Tilak Varma gave a Kohli déjà vu to Pakistan
RCB's six-month-old post that has resurfaced was for MI batter Tilak Varma from the 2025 Asia Cup final. Came out at 10-2, which soon got to 20-3, Varma played the innings of his life, as his composed yet aggressive knock of 69* runs (off 53 balls) against Pakistan took India home in Dubai.
His superb innings got him compared to the former India captain, Virat Kohli, who loves defeating Pakistan in crunch situations.
Thanks to his wonderful knock in the Asia Cup final, Tilak Varma was picked to play at number three during the 2026 T20 World Cup - a move that didn't work well. However, the MI batter redeemed himself by batting down the order and played some match-defining cameos in the latter half of India's title defence.
In the 2026 T20 World Cup, Tilak Varma scored 207 runs at a staggering strike rate of 154.48.
Read More: Suryakumar Yadav And Co Earn High Praise From West Indies Great After T20 World Cup Victory
