The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), started IPL 2026 from where they left off last year. RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, secured a dominant six-wicket win against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026 opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Saturday (March 28).
It was a good toss to win, but the way the men in red and gold outplayed the opposition was special. The conditions flattened out completely in the second innings, and the defending champions were unstoppable as they went about the run chase. Virat Kohli and debutant Jacob Duffy helped RCB start their campaign on a high note.
Skipper Patidar won the toss and opted to bowl first, aiming to take advantage of the conditions and know exactly what target to chase.
Jacob Duffy shines on IPL debut, but SRH recover after early collapse
The men in orange posted 201/9 in 20 overs, thanks to skipper Ishan Kishan’s 80 off 38 balls. He built a solid fourth-wicket partnership with Heinrich Klaasen after SRH lost three quick wickets in the powerplay, finishing it at 49/3.
On his IPL debut, New Zealand bowler Jacob Duffy removed both SRH openers, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head, in the third over. In his next over, he dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy cheaply for 1.
Kishan then took control of the innings, stitching a crucial 97-run stand with Klaasen for the fourth wicket, helping SRH recover after early setbacks.
For SRH, it was largely a one-man show from Kishan, who struck at over 200 before Aniket Verma showcased his power-hitting in the death overs. Aniket scored 43 off 18, including four sixes and three fours, taking SRH past the 200-run mark.
For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Duffy were both effective. Duffy picked up three wickets for just 22 runs, while Bhuvneshwar took one. Romario Shepherd, however, was the most expensive, conceding 54 runs in four overs but also taking three wickets.
Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal power RCB’s dominant chase
In response, RCB started positively, with Virat Kohli anchoring the innings with composure and class. He paced his innings perfectly, rotating the strike early and accelerating when required.
Alongside him, Devdutt Padikkal, who came in as a substitute, played a crucial role by taking the attack to the SRH bowlers from the outset. His aggressive strokeplay kept RCB ahead of the required run rate. Their 100-run partnership shifted the momentum firmly in RCB’s favour.
Padikkal was dismissed after an explosive 61 off 26 balls. Skipper Rajat Patidar then carried forward the momentum, while Kohli finished the chase in style as RCB sealed the victory in the 16th over.
Kohli’s unbeaten 69 off 38 balls was the icing on the cake for the Bengaluru crowd.
For SRH, David Payne picked up two wickets, while Jaydev Unadkat and Harsh Dubey also claimed two wickets each.
