Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began IPL 2026 with a commanding six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Chasing 202, RCB rode on Devdutt Padikkal’s explosive 61 off 26 and Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 69 to seal victory with 26 balls to spare.
Earlier, Ishan Kishan smashed 80 off 38, while Aniket Verma’s 43 powered SRH to 201/9. Debutant Jacob Duffy impressed with 3-22, supported by Romario Shepherd’s three wickets. RCB’s aggressive batting dominated the chase, with Rajat Patidar contributing a quick 31. Kohli’s fluent knock marked a strong return to T20 cricket, as RCB made a perfect start to their title defence in front of home fans.