RCB Vs SRH, IPL 2026: Get Toss Update And Playing XIs

The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League kicks off on March 28, Saturday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the high-voltage opener. While RCB looks to start their title defense on a high note, SRH aims to spoil the party with their revamped squad.

RCB enters the season with a formidable batting core. The presence of Virat Kohli and Phil Salt at the top provides explosive starts. Their middle order, led by new captain Rajat Patidar, Devdutt Padikkal and wicketkeepr-batter Jitesh Sharma, offers great stability. However, their bowling remains a concern. The team is relying heavily on Bhuvneshwar Kumar for early breakthroughs, and the spin department lacks a seasoned wicket-taker except for Krunal Pandya.

SRH boasts one of the most aggressive batting units in the league. With Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen, they can post massive totals. Their bowling attack is also depleted as their captain and premier pacer Pat Cummins is yet to recover from his injury. Their main weakness is a sudden change in leadership and the lack of an anchor in the middle order if the top stars fail early.

Both teams face significant availability issues. RCB will miss Josh Hazlewood, who is yet to be match fit. Earlier, Nuwan Thushara was denied NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket. They will also not get the services of Yash Dayal, as he is ruled out of the season due to personal reasons. For SRH, regular captain Pat Cummins is out with a lumbar stress injury. Ishan Kishan will lead the side in his absence.

RCB, who underwent a leadership transition following the recent ownership takeover, will look to gain immediate momentum to justify their record-breaking valuation. They want to prove that the change in ownership has not affected their on-field performance. SRH seeks to find the right balance under their interim captain. A win tonight would give them the confidence needed to overcome the absence of their primary leader.

Also Read: RCB Vs SRH, IPL 2026 Match 1 Live Score Updates

RCB Vs SRH, IPL 2026: Toss Update

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to field first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 match 1.

RCB Vs SRH, IPL 2026: Playing XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga