Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off their IPL 2026 campaign with a surprise selection as they unveiled a bold playing XI against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
Captain Rajat Patidar handed a debut to relatively unknown pacer Abhinandan Singh, who is just two days shy of his 29th birthday, while New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy was also included as RCB opted to bat first after winning the toss. The move signaled the team’s intention to support new pace options alongside their established core.
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A right-arm medium fast bowler, Abhinandan has built a reputation for hitting consistent lines and extracting movement with the new ball. He previously served as net bowler for Kolkata Knight Riders during their title campaign in 2024, giving him valuable exposure at the highest level. Picked up by RCB for his base price of ₹30 lakh in the 2025 auction, he was retained ahead of the 2026 season, underscoring the franchise’s faith in his potential.
Sunrisers Hyderabad also handed a debut to 23-year-old wicketkeeper Salil Arora, who comes into the IPL after an impressive domestic season with Punjab. A dynamic middle-order batsman, Arora was Punjab’s highest run-scorer in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, amassing 358 runs at a staggering strike rate of 198.88.
His standout performance came in an unbeaten 125 off just 45 balls against Jharkhand, an innings studded with nine fours and 11 sixes, with 102 runs in boundaries alone. Only Ishan Kishan has hit more sixes than him in the tournament.
Realizing his ability to hit for power, Sunrisers Hyderabad secured his services for 1.5 crore in the 2026 auction, adding another explosive option to their middle order.
What did the captains say?
Rajat Patidar said his team will play first and enter the new season with a new mindset, aiming to become champions again rather than defend their title. He highlighted the team’s depth, strong support system and overall fitness while backing debutants Jacob Duffy and Abhinandan Singh to impress.
Ishan Kishan said his team would prefer to bowl first but is comfortable batting on a fresh surface. He stressed the importance of sticking to simple plans, trusting instincts and doing a good job even in the absence of Pat Cummins, while naming Salil Arora as one to watch.
IPL 2026, RCB vs SRH: Playing XI
RCB: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(C), Jitesh Sharma(WK), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
RCB Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer
SRH: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C/WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
Impacts of SRH: Shivang Kumar, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, Smaran Ravichandran, Sakib Hussain
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
28 March 2026 19:38 IST
