Summary of this article
Devdutt Padikkal played an explosive knock of 61 runs in 26 balls
He hit seven boundaries and four sixes on his way to 61
His innings catapulted RCB in driver's seat in their chase against SRH
Devdutt Padikkal notched up a 22-ball half-century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru dominated an error-prone Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League 2026 opener at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday (March 28, 2026).
The 25-year-old joined Virat Kohli in the middle after the fall of Padikkal (8 off 7) in the second over, and the youngster overshadowed the former captain with an array of shots.
The left-hander reached the mini-milestone with a straight four in the 8th over, off former RCB team-mate Harshal Patel. He followed that up with another four, then, in the next over, hit Harsh Dubey for a four and six off successive deliveries.
Padikkal, however, holed out at long-off for a 26-ball 61, caught by Heinrich Klaasen off Dubey.
Meanwhile, Kohli carried on. The India great, dropped by Klaasen in that eventful eighth over, was unbeaten on 30 as skipper Rajat Patidar joined the hunt.
For the defending champions, the equation was 77 runs in 60 balls (126/2 in 10 overs).
When did the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match start?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match is being played on March 28, 2025 (Saturday) at 7:30 pm IST.
Which TV channel is broadcasting the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match will be televised live on the Star Sports Network in India.
Where to live stream the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2026 match will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
