Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (ANI Image)
New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru started IPL 2026 in style, dislodging Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the season opener at the M Stadium.
Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. The result set the tone for the tournament, with RCB making a bold statement while attention now turns to the Wankhede Stadium for Sunday’s match between five-time champions Mumbai Indians and three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders.Kohli, Padikkal headline the dominant chaseChasing 202, Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a fluent unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes. Returning to T20 cricket after a long break, Kohli looked in complete control as he scored his 64th Indian Premier League half-century and finished the game in style.
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The chase was set up brilliantly by influential substitute Devdutt Padikkal, who smashed 61 off just 26 balls, reaching his fifty in 21 deliveries. His 101-run stand with Kohli off just 45 balls opened the match wide open.Captain Rajat Patidar added further momentum with a quick-fire 31 off 12 balls, ensuring there was no hitch despite a short double from SRH impact player David Payne.RCB raced to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs, ending the chase with 26 balls to spare in a display of pure batting dominance.
Kishan shines, and Davi impresses in his debutEarlier, SRH posted a contest of 201/9 after putting in the bat. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the charge with a scintillating 80 off 38 balls, aided by a late charge from Aniket Verma, who scored 43 off 18 deliveries.However, early damage to debutant Jacob Duffy, who returned impressive figures of 3/22, left SRH struggling at 29/3. Kishan W
Heinrich Claassen
He stabilized the innings with a 97-run stand, but the momentum dropped after Klaassen’s controversial dismissal near the boundary.Despite the late batting, Hyderabad’s total proved insufficient against RCB’s aggressive batting unit.All eyes are on Wankhede for Sunday’s gameWith the opening score setting high standards, the spotlight now shifts to Mumbai, as Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the second match of the season.After RCB’s emphatic start to their title defence, both teams will be keen to make an early statement as the pace of IPL 2026 picks up pace.