Virat Kohli Once again showed why he is the heartbeat of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, leading his side to a dominant six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener on Saturday. The former India captain played an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls as RCB chased down 202 in just 15.4 overs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Reflecting on his performance, Kohli said, “It’s good to be back from there. The last T20 match I played was the final last year, but the way I batted in the recent ODI series helped me stay on the pace. I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t normally play… these breaks help me mentally. I’m fresh, I’m 20% excited every time I come back.” In the chase, impact substitute Devdutt Padikal scored a brilliant 61 off 26 balls. Kohli praised his young partner’s performance, saying: “Great nose. Right from the word go, I was going to go aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just put him back on strike. He took the game away from the opposition completely. I even told him that shot he hit the slow ball… he was hitting the middle ball for a six.” Good.” Kohli also emphasized the importance of team contributions over individual records: “As a player, you don’t just want to stick to one place; you want to keep performing and keep working for the team.” RCB were chased down by Kohli and Pedicel’s 101-run second-wicket partnership, after the team lost opening batsman Phil Salt. Kohli’s innings included five fours and five sixes, with some trademark shots such as straight sixes that hit the sight screen, and a swat flick executed with minimal movement, showing mastery of timing and placement. Earlier, SRH posted 201/9 with the stand-in skipper. Ishan Kishan Top scored with 80 runs off 38 balls including eight fours and five sixes. Jacob DuffyOn IPL debut, impressed with 3/22 figures, decimated SRH’s top order. Phil Salt also took a brilliant one-handed catch in the deep to dismiss Cushion. Kohli, who now plays only 50-over cricket for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is, is a key figure for RCB. “The kind of scheduling I’ve had in the last 15 years means there’s always a risk of burnout. These breaks help me mentally… As long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, the two things go together well, then you’re able to contribute to the team’s cause,” he added. With the victory, RCB began their IPL 2026 campaign in style, honoring the 11 fans who tragically lost their lives at last year’s title parade with black arms, empty seats, and a minute’s silence before the game.
