Brief Scores: RCB (203 for 4 in 15.4 overs) beat SRH (201 for 9 in 20 overs) by six wickets in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Scorecard – Highlights |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru used the opening night of IPL 2026 to send a statement to the rest of the league. Led by a clinical display of bowling from Jacob Duffy and a ruthless display with the bat, the defending champions defeated a listless SunRisers Hyderabad by six wickets with 26 balls to spare in Bengaluru on Saturday 28 March. Last year, RCB started with three consecutive home defeats; this time they started strongly, signaling a serious title defense.
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Ishan Kishan’s 80 proved futile as SunRisers lacked a shot. While he flourished with the bat and rescued his side from 29 for 3, the T20 World Cup hero – standing in as captain in the absence of Pat Cummins – endured a difficult climb behind the stumps and with his challenges on the field.
It wasn’t entirely his fault. Without Cummins, the SunRisers bowling attack looked dull. The decision to leave out uncapped Shivang Kumar and quick Brydon Cars robbed them of any X-factor as they defended 201. SunRisers could have found a better use for Abrar Ahmed in Bengaluru than Leeds.
The difference in quality between the two attacks with the new ball proved decisive in the end. Duffy, a former T20I world number one, battled through the SunRisers’ top order, neutralizing the threat of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in the first four overs. In contrast, SRH looked without a plan and bowled with the new ball. That we turned to struggling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy early on only underlined the lack of firepower in their attack.
RCB ROAR IN BENGALURU
Cricket returned to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time since last year’s tragic stampede and the loyal home support could hardly have asked for a better restart. After restricting the SunRisers to 201 – a par total at a venue notorious for being a bowler’s graveyard – RCB went into top gear during the chase and completed it in just 15.4 overs.
Devdutt Padikkal was at his best with the bat and picked up where he left off in domestic cricket. Used as an Impact Player, the left-hander smashed 61 off 26 balls, hitting four sixes and six fours with effortless elegance. It felt like a show waiting to happen as Padikkal dismantled the SunRisers attack while proving that timing and placement still thrive alongside brute power in modern T20 cricket. Fresh from a 725-run Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, he has already entered early contention for the Orange Cap.
Virat Kohli was initially content to play second fiddle – first to Padikkal and then to skipper Rajat Patidar, who made 31 off just 12 balls. But whenever he attacked, Kohli provided full value to the crowd. He anchored the innings while still producing enough panache to dominate the major reels.
Kohli returned to competitive cricket after a two-month break and looked like he had never been away. His fluency was no surprise – the 37-year-old has been in the form of his life, hitting four centuries in his last eight first-class matches. Despite focusing largely on one-day cricket, he has clearly put in the work ahead of the new season and the rewards have been immediate.
Kohli brought up his fifty from 33 balls and held the innings together even as RCB briefly lost Patidar and wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma in quick succession during the middle overs.
He then finished things with authority. Kohli took on former teammate Harshal Patel and hit a six and three boundaries in one over to seal the chase as early as 4 p.m. He remained unbeaten on 69 off just 38 balls, ensuring that RCB not only started their title defense in style, but also increased their net rate significantly.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
28 March 2026 23:19 IST
