Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kicked off their TATA IPL 2026 campaign in emphatic style, chasing down a daunting 202-run target to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets with a remarkable 26 balls to spare at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
After winning the toss, RCB opted to field and the decision paid immediate dividends. Debutant Jacob Duffy made a dream first impression, tearing through SRH’s top order in the powerplay. The New Zealand pacer struck early, removing Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Nitish Kumar Reddy with disciplined back-of-a-length deliveries. He finished with outstanding figures of 3/22, earning the Player of the Match award.
SRH, rocked early, found stability through a counter-attacking partnership between stand-in captain Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. The duo stitched together a crucial 97-run stand off just 53 balls, shifting momentum with aggressive stroke play. Klaasen contributed a quick 31 before falling, while Kishan played a scintillating knock of 80 off 38 balls, keeping SRH in the contest. However, both batters were dismissed following exceptional boundary catches from Phil Salt, halting SRH’s surge at key moments.
Late fireworks came from Aniket Verma, whose explosive 43 off 18 balls propelled SRH past the 200 mark, finishing at 201/9. Romario Shepherd impressed with the ball for RCB as well, picking up three wickets despite conceding runs.
In response, RCB came out with attacking intent. Although Phil Salt departed early, Devdutt Padikkal took charge with a blistering 61 off just 26 balls, dominating the powerplay. Alongside him, Virat Kohli played a composed innings, allowing Padikkal to dictate the pace as the pair added 101 runs in just 45 balls.
After Padikkal’s departure, skipper Rajat Patidar joined Kohli to maintain the momentum. His rapid 31 off 12 balls ensured SRH never regained control. Kohli then anchored the chase with a classy unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, guiding RCB to a comfortable victory at 202/4 in just 15.4 overs.
A dominant all-round performance saw RCB send a strong message early in the tournament.
