RCB’s Virat Kohli, left, gestures to fans as he leaves with teammate Tim David. (AP photo) NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off IPL 2026 by rewriting the record books as they thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday to beat the fastest ever 200-plus target.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Chasing 202, RCB raced to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs, sealing victory with 26 balls to spare – the fastest chase past 200 in IPL history. This broke the previous record of Rajasthan Royals chasing 210 in 15.5 overs against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur last season.
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RCB’s big changes ahead of IPL: New rules, tribute and squad update The emphatic result also bettered RCB’s own previous benchmark of chasing 200-plus in 16 overs, underscoring the extent of their dominance in the season opener.Fewest overs to complete 200-plus chase in IPL:Overs TakenMatchVenueYear15.4RCB vs SRHBengaluru202615.5RR vs GTJaipur202516.0RCB vs GTAhmedabad202416.3MI vs RCBMumbai202317.3DC vs GLDelhi2017The Kohli-Padikkal partnership produced a record breaking nightThe record-breaking chase was built on a stunning 101-run stand in just 45 balls between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal.Padikkal set the pace with a blistering 61 off 26 balls, bringing up his half-century in just 21 deliveries with a flurry of boundaries. Kohli complemented him perfectly with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, displaying his trademark batting and shooting to register his 64th IPL fifty.RCB’s intent was clear from the start – 76 runs in the over and 100 in just 8.1 overs – as they dismantled SRH’s bowling attack with calculated aggression.Captain Rajat Patidar hit a quickfire 31 off 12 balls to keep the momentum intact and ensure there were no hiccups in the chase.Kishan’s effort for SRH in vainEarlier, SRH posted 201/9 after being put into bat with stand-in captain Ishan Kishan leading the charge with a smooth 80 off 38 balls.After slipping to 29/3, Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen added 97 runs for the fourth wicket to revive the innings. Klaasen scored 31 before falling in a controversial catch decision on the boundary.Debutant Jacob Duffy impressed for RCB with figures of 3/22, triggering an early collapse.Despite a late cameo from Aniket Verma (43), SRH’s total proved inadequate against an uncontrollable RCB side.With this record chase, RCB not only started their campaign in style but also sent an early warning to the rest of the league.
