India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Virat Kohli has added a new full sleeve tattoo on his left arm ahead of the IPL 2026 season. The artwork was completed at ‘Aliens Tattoo India’, which shared a video of the process on Instagram, quickly drawing widespread attention.
According to the studio, the tattoo represents Kohli’s personal journey and transformation over time. The star batter is set to return to action in the 19th edition of the IPL, which begins on March 28, with RCB facing Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
“This was not about adding another tattoo. It was about creating something that carries depth, something that reflects who he has become,” Aliens Tattoo stated on its website.
“This piece draws from his journey as a person. It reflects the transformation he has gone through, what he has moved beyond, what he has arrived at, and the direction he continues to move in. At every inflection point in his life, he has shed parts of who he once was, through discipline, through focus, through an unwavering sense of belief. And yet, not everything was left behind. Some parts stayed. Some became stronger. And much more was added – to his personality, to his beliefs, to the way he approaches life today. His new full sleeve tattoo reflects exactly that.
“His left arm was not a blank canvas. It already carried years of ink, an incomplete armband, older tattoos, elements that belonged to different phases of his life. Some had aged. Some had lost their clarity. Some no longer reflected the precision and intent they once held.
“The approach was deliberate. Some parts needed to be covered. Some needed to be refined and restored. And much more needed to be added – with purpose. To take scattered fragments and transform them into a single, cohesive sleeve that flows as one.”
