New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru began IPL 2026 by rewriting the record books, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the fastest chase of the 200-plus target. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Chasing 202, RCB raced to 203/4 in just 15.4 overs, sealing victory with 26 balls to spare – the fastest 200-plus chase in IPL history. In doing so, they eclipsed the previous record set by Rajasthan Royals, who had chased down 210 runs in 15.5 overs against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur last season.The massive result also bettered RCB’s previous record of chasing a total of 200-plus in 16 overs, underscoring the scale of their dominance in the season opener.Minimum overs taken to reach 200-plus target in IPL:
| The overs were taken. | Match | location | The year |
| 15.4 | RCB vs SRH | Bengaluru | 2026 |
| 15.5 | RR vs GT | Jaipur | 2025 |
| 16.0 | RCB vs GT | Ahmedabad | 2024 |
| 16.3 | MI vs RCB | Mumbai | 2023 |
| 17.3 | DC v. G.L | Delhi | 2017 |
Record night in Kohli-Pedikal partnershipThe record-breaking chase was built on a stunning stand of 101 runs off just 45 balls between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikal.Pedicel set the tempo with a brilliant innings of 61 off 26 balls. Kohli completed them with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, displaying his trademark control and shotmaking to register his 64th IPL fifty.RCB’s intent was clear from the start – 76 runs in the powerplay and 100 runs in just 8.1 overs – as they dismantled SRH’s bowling attack with calculated aggression.Skipper Rajat Patidar scored a blistering 12-ball 31 to keep the momentum going, ensuring there was no hiccups in the chase.A cushion effort for SRH in vainEarlier, SRH posted 201/9 after coming in to bat, with stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan scoring a fluent 38-ball 80.After slipping to 29/3, Kishan and Henrik Klaasen put on 97 runs for the fourth wicket to restart the innings. Klaasen scored 31 runs before falling in the verdict on a controversial boundary catch.Debutant Jacob Duffy impressed with figures of 3/22 for RCB, triggering an early elimination.Despite a late cameo from Aniket Verma (43), SRH’s total proved insufficient against a pacey RCB side.With this record-breaking chase, RCB not only started their campaign in style but also sent an early warning to the rest of the league.
