New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru started IPL 2026 in commanding fashion, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the season opener. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. The result set the tone for the tournament, with RCB making a bold statement as attention now shifts to the Wankhede Stadium for Sunday’s clash between the five-time champions. Mumbai Indians and three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders.Kohli, Chasing the Pedicel Headline Dominant202 pursuit of Virat Kohli He started the innings with a brilliant unbeaten 69 runs off 38 balls with the help of five fours and five sixes. Returning to T20 cricket after a long break, Kohli looked in complete control as he registered his 64th IPL half-century and finished the game in style.
The chase was brilliantly set up by impact substitute Dev Dutt Padikal, who scored 61 off just 26 balls and reached his fifty in 21 balls. His 101-run stand with Kohli off just 45 balls blew the game wide open.Skipper Rajat Patidar provided further impetus with a blistering 12-ball 31, ensuring there were no hiccups despite a brief double strike from SRH influencer David Payne.RCB raced to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs, completing the chase with 26 balls to spare in a display of pure batting dominance.Cushion shines, Duffy impresses on debut.Earlier, SRH posted a competitive 201/9 after coming into bat. Stand-in captain Ishan Kishan Led the charge with a brilliant 80 off 38 balls, aided by a late blitz from Aniket Verma, who scored 43 off 18 balls.However, an early loss to debutant Jacob Duffy, who returned impressive figures of 3/22, left SRH struggling at 29/3. Cushions and Heinrich Klassen Stabilized the innings with 97 runs, but slowed down after the controversial dismissal of Klaasen near the boundary.Despite hitting late, Hyderabad’s total proved insufficient against RCB’s aggressive batting unit.All eyes are on Wankhede for Sunday’s clash.With the early results setting a high standard, the spotlight now shifts to Mumbai, where Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the second match of the season.After RCB’s strong start to their title defence, both teams will be eager to make an early statement as IPL 2026 gathers pace.
