IPL 2026: RCB Registers a Convincing Win Over Hyderabad; Kohli and Padikkal Shine

The IPL 2026 season began in a grand manner. In the opening match held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) registered a convincing 6-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). After winning the toss, RCB opted to bowl first and Hyderabad posted a total of 201 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs.

While batting first, Hyderabad found themselves in early trouble at 29/3. In that situation, captain Ishan Kishan played a brilliant innings, scoring 80 runs off 38 balls, including 8 fours and 5 sixes, helping the team reach a respectable total. Aniket Verma added a quick-fire 43 runs towards the end. For RCB, New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy impressed with figures of 3/22 on debut, while Romario Shepherd also picked up 3 wickets. Kishan, who was heading towards a century, was dismissed after attempting a big shot, as Phil Salt took a stunning catch near the boundary.

In the chase, RCB’s batters played aggressively. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten with 69 runs off 38 balls, hitting 5 fours and 5 sixes. Devdutt Padikkal smashed 61 runs off just 26 balls, playing a key role in the victory, while captain Rajat Patidar contributed a quick 31 runs off 12 balls to finish the game early. RCB successfully chased down the target of 202 runs with 26 balls to spare, marking a strong start to their IPL 2026 campaign.