Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Virat Kohli was seen teasing his India teammate Shubman Gill for his beard. The defending champions will be up against the Gujarat Titans on Tuesday, May 26 at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala in the Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2026 season. Ahead of the game, a video has been doing rounds on social media, where the former RCB skipper was seen in a playful mood, teasing the GT skipper for his beard.

In the video, Kohli could be seen approaching Gill and embracing him in a hug before teasing him for his beard. Both players were seen sharing a big laugh following the interaction. Needless to say, this warm and offline brotherhood in contrast to their fierce competitive spirit witnessed during the IPL 2026 season matches left fans in awe. It is to be noted that in their clash last month, Kohli was seen giving a fired-up ‘come-on’ send-off to the GT skipper, which caught several eyes on social media.

All eyes on IPL 2026 Qualifier 1

The IPL 2026 has reached its business end and the playoffs will begin with Qualifier 1 between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Gujarat Titans on May 26. Notably, RCB and GT finished in first and second spots respectively in the points table. The winner of the clash will move towards the IPL 2026 Final directly, while the losing team will get another shot. It will be up against the winner of Eliminator in Qualifier 2 on May 29 in New Chandigarh.

SunRisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, who ended the league stage in third and fourth place, respectively, will lock horns in Eliminator on May 27 in New Chandigarh. The losing team will be knocked out of the tournament directly while the winner will progress to Qualifier 2 to face the loser of RCB vs GT for a spot in the final.