Virat Kohli once again showed why he is regarded as one of the best chasers in the game as he led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
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Pursuing a competitive target 202, Kohli anchored the innings to perfection and finished unbeaten on 69 off 38 balls. His knock, studded with five fours and five sixes, ensured RCB chased down the total with ease in just 15.4 overs, emphatically setting the tone for their title defence.
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There was also a lighter moment towards the end of the chase. After sealing the win, Kohli was seen blowing a kiss towards Anushka Sharma who was present in the stands. The crowd loved it and it capped off an unforgettable night in Bengaluru.
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Kohli looked in sublime touch from the start, showing no signs of rust despite stepping back from Tests and ODIs. He paced the chase expertly, alternating strike early before accelerating at the right moments, again underlining his reputation as a master of the run.
He found strong support from Devdutt Padikkal who played a sensational knock of 61 off just 26 balls. Padikkal’s aggressive approach ensured that RCB stayed ahead of the required pace while skipper Rajat Patidar hit a quickfire 31 off 12 balls to maintain the pace.
Earlier in the evening, SRH posted 201 for nine after recovering from early setbacks. However, the total proved insufficient against RCB’s dominant batting display.
Among those present in the stands were Smriti Mandhana, Shreyanka Patil and Jemimah Rodrigues, who added to the buzz around the season opener.
RCB’s bowlers had laid the platform earlier, with debutant Jacob Duffy impressing with figures of 3 for 22 in his four overs.
Finally it was Kohli’s composed brilliance and signature finish which ensured that RCB started their IPL 2026 campaign in style.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
28 March 2026 23:34 IST
