Virat Kohli In the IPL 2026 season opener on Saturday, he once again proved why he is the heart of Royal Challengers Bangalore, leading the team to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad. The former India captain smashed an unbeaten 38-ball 69 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium as RCB chased down 202 in just 15.4 overs. Talking about his performance, Kohli said: “It feels good to be back on the field. The last T20 match I played was the final last year, but the way I batted in the recent one-day series has really helped me keep the momentum going. I didn’t hit the ball that I normally don’t hit…these breaks helped me mentally. I stayed fresh, kept excited. Whenever I came back to play, it was 120 per cent.” Off-spinner Devdutt Padikkal provided impetus to the chase with a superb performance of 61 off 26 balls. Praising his young partner’s performance, Kohli said: “Excellent batting. From the beginning, I planned to be more aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him batting, I thought, keep getting him back on board. He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him that that shot was when he hit a slower ball in the middle for a six… Keep going. He was batting really well.” Kohli also stressed the importance of team contribution over individual records: “As a player, you don’t want to just hold down a position; you want to keep performing and keep putting in the effort for the team.” RCB’s chase relied on a 101-run fielding for the second wicket by Kohli and Padikkal after the team lost opener Phil Salt early on. Kohli’s innings, which included five fours and five sixes, featured some signature shots such as a straight six that hit the sighting screen and a slam executed with minimal movement, showcasing his mastery of timing and placement. Earlier, SRH released 201/9 with stand-in captain Ishan Kishan The highest score came with 80 off 38 balls, including 8 fours and 5 sixes. Jacob Duffymade his IPL debut with impressive figures of 3/22, dismantling SRH’s top order. Phil Salt also bowled Kishan with a stunning one-handed catch in deep water. Kohli has now played just over 50 games for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is, but he remains a key figure for RCB. “The schedule of the last 15 years means there’s always a risk of burnout. These breaks have helped me mentally… As long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, and those two things come together well, then you’re able to contribute to the team’s cause,” he added. With this win, RCB officially kicked off their IPL 2026 campaign with black armbands, empty seats and a minute’s silence before the match to pay tribute to the 11 fans who tragically lost their lives during last year’s championship parade.
