Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru started IPL 2026 in fair fashion as they thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the season opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. The result set the tone for the tournament, with RCB making a bold statement as attention now turns to the Wankhede Stadium for Sunday’s clash between five-time champions Mumbai Indians and three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders.Kohli, Padikkal main dominant chaseChasing 202 balls, Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a smooth unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes. Kohli returned to T20 cricket after a long break and looked in complete control as he registered his 64th IPL half-century and finished the game in style.
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Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard address MI fans at Aamchi Mumbai The chase was brilliantly played by strike substitute Devdutt Padikkal who smashed 61 off just 26 balls to reach his fifty in 21 deliveries. His 101-run stand with Kohli off just 45 balls blew the game wide open.Captain Rajat Patidar added further impetus with a quick-fire 31 off 12 balls, ensuring there were no hiccups despite SRH batsman David Payne’s short double.Racing to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs, RCB completed the chase with 26 balls to spare in a display of sheer batting dominance.Kishan shines, Duffy impresses on debutEarlier, SRH posted a competitive 201/9 after being put into bat. Stand-in captain Ishan Kishan led the charge with a scintillating 80 off 38 balls, supported by a late burst from Aniket Verma who hit 43 off 18 deliveries.However, early damage from debutant Jacob Duffy, who returned impressive figures of 3/22, left SRH struggling at 29/3. Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen tied the innings with a 97-run stand, but the momentum dropped after Klaasen’s controversial dismissal near the boundary.Despite batting late, Hyderabad’s total proved insufficient against RCB’s aggressive batting unit.All eyes on the Wankhede for Sunday’s clashWith the opening result setting the bar high, the focus now shifts to Mumbai where Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the second match of the season.
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After RCB’s emphatic start to their title defence, both teams will be looking forward to an early declaration as IPL 2026 gathers momentum.
