Virat Kohli again showed why he is the heart of Royal Challengers Bengaluru as he steered his team to a dominant six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener on Saturday. The former India captain hit an unbeaten 38-ball 69 as RCB chased down 202 in just 15.4 overs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Reflecting on his performance, Kohli said: “It’s good to be back there. The last T20 I played was the final last year, but the way I batted in the recent one-day series really helped me maintain that pace. I didn’t play the shots I don’t usually play… these breaks help me mentally. I stay fresh, I stay excited. Whenever I come back to play, 20% 1.” The chase was fueled by a brilliant 26-ball 61 from shock substitute Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli lauded his young partner’s performance: “Excellent batting. Right from the start I was planning to go aggressive in the over. But when I saw him play, I said, just bring him back to bat. He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him he hit the slower ball over mid-off for a six… keep it up. He’s hitting the ball well.” Kohli also emphasized the importance of team contribution over individual records: “As a player, you don’t just want to stay put, you want to keep performing and keep working for the team.” RCB’s chase was anchored by Kohli and Padikkal’s 101 for the second wicket after the team lost opener Phil Salt early. Kohli’s innings included five fours and five sixes, with some signature shots such as a straight six that hit the screen and a flick of a swing executed with minimal movement, demonstrating his mastery of timing and placement. Earlier, SRH were 201/9 with stand-in captain Ishan Kishan top-scoring with 80 off 38 balls, including eight fours and five sixes. Jacob Duffy, on IPL debut, impressed with figures of 3/22, dismantled SRH’s top order. Phil Salt also produced a stunning one-handed catch in the deep to dismiss Kishan. Kohli, now only playing 50-over cricket for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is, remains a key figure for RCB. “The kind of scheduling over the last 15 years has meant there’s always been a risk of burnout. These breaks help me mentally… if you’re physically fit and mentally fired up, the two things come together nicely, then you can contribute to the team’s cause,” he added. With the win, RCB started their IPL 2026 campaign in style and honored the 11 fans who tragically lost their lives at last year’s title show with black armbands, empty seats and a minute’s silence before the match.
