RCB Vs SRH Highlights, IPL 2026: Kohli Anchors Chase As Royal Challengers Bengaluru Kickstart Season With Victory

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 starts tonight with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahead of that, we welcome you to our live coverage of the match, Stay tuned for score updates, toss updates, playing XI and everything else about the match.

In a departure from tradition, the BCCI has cancelled the grand opening ceremony. This is a mark of respect for the victims of the tragic stampede that occurred in Bengaluru during last year's title celebrations. Both teams will wear black armbands tonight.

There are some new rules introduced by the IPL governing council.

To combat the dew factor, the bowling side can now request a ball change after the 10th over of the second innings to ensure a fair grip.

Teams are now barred from practice sessions on actual match days to preserve the pitch and streamline broadcasting schedules.

Given how RCB lined up in the practice matches, it is unlikely that Venkatesh Iyer will feature in their playing XI. Devdutt Padikkal has been in great touch and has already been part of the settlled batting unit of RCB. The practice matches indicated he will be batting at number 3 and Iyer will have to wait for his chance.

Venkatesh was acquired by the defending champions for INR 7 Crore during the mini-auction held in December 2025.

As the 2026 IPL season begins today, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium finds itself at the center of a somber narrative. The stadium has faced significant scrutiny and structural changes following a tragic incident last year.

On June 4, 2025, a massive crowd crush occurred outside the stadium during celebrations for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) maiden IPL title.

1 fans lost their lives and over 50 were injured. Thousands of fans gathered for a victory parade and felicitation ceremony. Confusion over entry passes and a lack of crowd control led to fans attempting to force open closed gates.

The Karnataka High Court took up a suo-motu PIL, and FIRs were filed against the RCB franchise, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), and the event management firm for "culpable homicide."

Pat Cummins will miss the start of IPL 2026 as he continues his recovery from a lumbar stress injury in his back. While he has already joined the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp in Bengaluru, he is currently on a structured rehabilitation plan and is not yet match-ready.

Cummins has resumed bowling in the nets, currently operating at a workload of bowling every third day.

Just days before the start of the 2026 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made history with a massive ownership takeover. On March 24, 2026, a high-powered consortium officially signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the franchise from United Spirits Limited (Diageo India).

The deal is a landmark for global sports, valuing the reigning IPL and WPL champions at INR 166.6 billion (approximately $1.78 billion), making RCB the most expensive franchise in IPL history.

The acquiring consortium consists of four major partners:

Aditya Birla Group: Led by Aryaman Vikram Birla, who will serve as the new Chairman of the franchise.

The Times of India Group: Represented by Satyan Gajwani, who will take over as Vice Chairman.

Bolt Ventures: The investment platform of David Blitzer (who also has stakes in the Philadelphia 76ers and Crystal Palace).

Blackstone: One of the world's largest alternative asset managers.

RCB boast a high-impact opening duo in Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, designed to maximize the powerplay before Devdutt Padikkal slotted at number three comes in to maintain the momentum.

Captain Rajat Patidar anchors the middle order, supported by the finishing fireworks of Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, and Romario Shepherd, providing the team with a 360-degree scoring range.

On the other side, SRH counters with what many consider the league's most dangerous top five. The explosive left-handed pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma are followed by interim captain Ishan Kishan, who enters the season in red-hot form following a stellar T20 World Cup. With Heinrich Klaasen and Liam Livingstone providing unparalleled muscle in the middle overs, SRH possesses the raw power to challenge any total on Bengaluru’s short boundaries.

With both teams having strong batting power up their ranks, expect a battle of batters at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium tonight.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match will be televised live on the Star Sports Network in India. Fans can also watch the match JioHotstar mobile app and website.

Jacob Bethell enters IPL 2026 as one of the most talked-about young talents following his historic performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup. During the high-stakes second semifinal against India at the Wankhede Stadium on March 5, 2026, Bethell smashed a breathtaking 105 off just 48 balls, featuring 8 fours and 7 sixes. Though England ultimately fell short by 7 runs while chasing 254, his century made him the youngest Englishman to record hundreds in all three international formats.

Despite this world-class form, RCB faces a significant selection dilemma for tonight's opener. The franchise typically prioritizes its winning combination from their 2025 title run, which relies on the overseas quartet of Phil Salt, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, and an overseas pacer.

This is why it is unlikely that Bethell will feature against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Matches Played: 26

SRH Won: 13

RCB Won: 11

No Result/Tie: 2

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match will be played on March 28, 2025 (Saturday) at 7:30 pm IST. The toss will be conducted at 7:00 PM.

Toss Update: Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and opted to bowl first.

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

Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar confirmed that New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy and Indian seamer Abhinandan Singh will make their debut as Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal misses out.

Jacob Duffy enters IPL 2026 as a pivotal pace reinforcement for RCB, having been acquired for his base price of INR 2 Crore in the recent mini-auction. The 31-year-old New Zealander enjoyed a career-defining 2025, where he briefly held the No. 1 spot in the ICC T20I bowling rankings and set a national record by taking 81 international wickets in a single calendar year. Standing at 6'0", Duffy is often compared to Josh Hazlewood for his relentless accuracy, high release point, and ability to swing the new ball both ways.

With Hazlewood currently unavailable for the initial phase of the season, Duffy will lead the overseas pace attack in tonight's opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His recent experience in Indian conditions makes him a strategic asset for RCB's title defense.

Abhinandan Singh is the breakout story of the IPL 2026 opening night, making his debut for RCB against SRH at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

A 28-year-old right-arm medium-fast bowler from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, he was retained by RCB for just INR 30 lakh following a journey that saw him transition from tennis-ball cricket to the professional level in just four years.

Abhinandan gained significant attention during the pre-season by dismissing Virat Kohli twice in intra-squad practice matches, showcasing a high-release point and the ability to swing the new ball both ways.

His domestic credentials include a standout run in the UP T20 League, where he took 15 wickets for the Lucknow Falcons in 2024, including a career-best 4/26. Known for his raw pace and accuracy, he has been handed the new ball tonight alongside fellow debutant Jacob Duffy to lead the defending champions' bowling attack.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact subs: Shivang Kumar, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, Smaran Ravichandran, Sakib Hussain

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Impact subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer

Only two boundaries in the first two overs and the surface didn't look like a belter. Both the new ball bowlers got some purchase off the surface. Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls the second over and ended up with some wides down the leg, struggling to control the movement. The SRH batters looks nervy as well and Travis Head gets a streaky boundary with an inside edge.

A brilliant over from Jacob Duffy and both Sunrisers Hyderabad openers have to go back in the dugout. He strikes in the first ball as Abhishek Sharma miscues a good length ball from Duffy. The ball goes straight up and wicketkeeper Jacob Duffy settles under it to take a good catch. Head takes him on, hits a six but in the last ball of the over, plays a cramped pull to the hands of the deep mid-wicket fielder Phil Salt. Superb start from RCB.

SRH batters are struggling against the back of length short ball of Jacob Duffy and Nitish Kumar Reddy is the latest in that list. Goes for the pull shot but doesn't get anywhere close to a good connection. The ball goes up and a circle fielder takes an easy catch. Ishan Kishan doesn't back down by the collapse and attacks debutant Abhinandan Singh smashing him for two sixes and a four in the final over of the powerplay.

Rajat Patidar decides to frontload Jacob Duffy and he finishes his spell within the 7th over. Impactful performance from him and he bags three wickets as he ends his first outing. SRH batters play him out and both Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen look to counter-attack as they eye a big score. Klaasen has looked in good touch and so has Ishan Kishan. Both have been able to rotate as well as pick boundaries.

Jacob Duffy has reached the pinnacle of New Zealand cricket, being awarded the prestigious Sir Richard Hadlee Medal as the country’s best male player of the year. This honor follows a historic 2025 campaign where he shattered a 40-year-old record held by Hadlee himself, claiming a staggering 81 international wickets in a single calendar year.

Standing at 6'0" (183 cm) with a sturdy, athletic build, Duffy utilizes his height to generate significant bounce and a steep release point, which, combined with his natural ability to swing the ball both ways, makes him a relentless threat in all formats. His international performance over the last 12 months has been nothing short of elite; he became the No. 1 ranked T20I bowler in early 2025 and maintained a prolific red-ball form, taking 25 Test wickets at an average of just 16.28.

His durability was on full display during a marathon 43-over stint against the West Indies, cementing his reputation as the most complete bowling performer in the Blackcaps setup before joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the IPL 2026 season

Brilliant knock under pressure from Ishan Kishan and he brings up his half-century in just 27 deliveries. Came to the crease when SRH were losing wickets and then carried on the counter-attack to keep the fightback on. Now he has shifted gears and after bringing up his half-century, looking to take SRH to a big total.

A controversial decision by the umpire and Heinrich Klaasen will have to walk back. First ball from Romario Shepherd and Klaasen pulls it in the air. Doesn't get the full connection but the ball teases with the boundary rope. But Phil Salt, patrolling the area, takes a very good catch. He tumbled while taking the catch and it seemingly looked like his body touched the rope. Although the umpire didn't consider that and adjudged it as out.

A sensational catch from Phil Salt and Ishan Kishan will have to go back. Full toss from Abhinandan Singh, Kishan slices it on the offside. The ball was going away from Salt but he covers a lot of ground and that dives on his right to take a one handed stunner. He had to stretch fully, yet he was able to hold on to the ball. Kishan departs after scoring a well-made 80 (38).

Sensational batting from Aniket Verma. He has been hitting the big shots to all parts of the ground and now he takes his ball striking to the next level by targeting Romario Shepherd. His him for three boundaries in a row including two sixes and one four. As it was looking he can give SRH a very strong finish, he finds the long-off fielder. One over to go for SRH.

Phil Salt started the chase well with two boundaries, but lost his shape while trying to swing hard at a ball from Jaydev Unadkat going away from his body. The ball only went and Heinrich Klaasen took a good sliding catch. Devdutt Padikkal came in and immediately announced himself with a massive six. Virat Kohli also charged down the track to get a boundary. RCB have a great batting depth and they will not slow down.

Some quality batting from Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli out on the crease. They have used the field restrictions in the powerplay brilliantly and collected runs. Padikkal has made his intent clear by continuously charging at the bowlers. Meanwhile, Kohli has taken his time but played some brilliant strokes to join the party. SRH are under heavy pressure right now.

Sensational batting of Devdutt Padikkal finally comes to an end and he departs after scoring 61 runs in only 26 balls. Came on to bat after Phil Salt departed early but then unleashed hell on the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers. He took on every bowler successfully, specially the left arm spinner Harsh Dubey. Wanted to get more from him and mistimed a shot to the hands of the long on fielder.

So far, Rajat Patidar has batted like he has come set from the dressing room. Absolutely dismantled Harsh Dubey first, showing his power and range against spin and then showed his power against pace, launching Eshan Malinga into the stands down the ground. Some exceptional ball-striking from the RCB captain.

The man, myth and legend starts of the season with doing what he does best. He scores another half-century. Virat Kohli raises his bat and greets the M.Chinnaswamy crowd. Has been a very controlled knock for him. He didn't need to be very aggressive. Took his time and played around the park with some sensational strokes to gather runs. RCB on brink of victory here.

Kohli finishes things off in style. Some quality strokes against Harshal Patel and he brings the match to a close. Defending champions announce themselves strongly in the first match that they are coming for the trophy yet again. First Jacob Duffy, then Phil Salt's fielding and later the batting from Padikkal, Kohli and Patidar showed the place RCB are in. Meanwhile, a very underwhelming performance from Ishan Kishan's SRH. They will have to improve their bowling to challenge their next opponents.

"I think definitely the wicket played well after the first 3-4 overs. You know, we lost a few early wickets, and we have to take care of that maybe next time because, looking at the wicket in the second innings, it was pretty much easier to bat on and the ball was coming on quite well. So yeah, we’ll have to be a little smart with the shot selection next time. But yeah, we did well after losing track, which gives a lot of confidence to us. You know, especially you have to give some credit to the batters as well, the way they batted, especially Virat Bhai while chasing. It’s very important to get his wicket as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he keeps on going, it’s hard to stop him. We’ll have to work a little hard. It’s the first game and these mistakes are acceptable for now. We’ll be a little more cautious with the bowling, areas where we need to execute, and we might be stronger from this game. I actually enjoyed it a lot, you know, enjoyed every moment of it. It’s IPL, so sometimes nerves are there. But we’ll get better with this as a team. What else can I say about the captaincy? If we win the games coming ahead, it will be much easier for us going ahead in the tournament."

"Thanks for such lovely words. It’s good to get back out there. You mentioned T20 cricket, the last game I played was the final last year, but I think the way I batted in the one-day series quite recently really helped me to stay in that same kind of momentum. I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t usually play. So I knew as long as I have the rhythm, and I’ve put enough work physically behind the scenes with my fitness, things should come together nicely. And yeah, tonight was another chance to start strong and build on this. The kind of scheduling that we’ve had over the last 15 years and the amount of cricket I’ve played, for me, there was always a risk of getting burnt out rather than being undercooked. So these breaks help me mentally. I stay fresh, I stay excited. Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120%. I’m not coming back underprepared. In fact, the extra rest helps me mentally freshen up. And as long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, both those things come together nicely. Then you’re able to contribute to the team’s cause, and that’s what you want to do as a player. You don’t want to just hold on to a spot; you want to keep performing and keep putting in the work for the team. (Padikkal's knock) Outstanding knock. I mean, right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike and pick the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him, that shot he hit off the slower ball over mid-on for six, at that moment I said, just keep going. You’re hitting the ball amazingly well, just keep pushing and take the game away from the opposition. If we finish with 25-26 balls to spare, we’ll also benefit in terms of net run rate. His knock was tremendous. I’ve seen him at close quarters, the skill he has and now he’s applying it. This is also at the back of a great domestic red-ball season. His timing, head position, balance, absolutely world-class. I know what he can do with the bat when he’s confident, and tonight was a display of his sheer talent."

"The way boys played and everybody chipped in was a positive sign. Duffy was playing his first match and the way he bowled was the turning point for us. Not a policy but we're assessing the wicket and the wicket was good to bat. The way Virat Kohli and Padikkal played was a good base. No words for him. Everytime he goes in and when the team is chasing, he's the number one batter and he was there at the end. It was a terrific catch by Phil Salt. I was surprised. But as we know he's a terrific fielder. Was trying my best to create an impact in this match. Was a situation in which we could've finished it off quickly."

"The way boys played and everybody chipped in was a positive sign. Duffy was playing his first match and the way he bowled was the turning point for us. Not a policy but we're assessing the wicket and the wicket was good to bat. The way Virat Kohli and Padikkal played was a good base. No words for him. Everytime he goes in and when the team is chasing, he's the number one batter and he was there at the end. It was a terrific catch by Phil Salt. I was surprised. But as we know he's a terrific fielder. Was trying my best to create an impact in this match. Was a situation in which we could've finished it off quickly."