New Delhi: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore kicked off IPL 2026 in dominant fashion, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 6 wickets in the season opener at the M. Stadium. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday. The result set the tone for the tournament, with RCB making a bold statement and attention now turns to the Wankhede Stadium for Sunday’s clash between the five-time champions mumbai indians and three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders.Kohli, Padikkal dominateChasing 202, Virat Kohli An unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, hitting 5 fours and 5 sixes, stabilized the innings. On his return to T20 cricket after a long break, Kohli looked in complete control of the match as he completed his 64th IPL half-century and did so in class.
The chase was superbly completed by off-spinner Devdutt Padikkal, who blasted 61 off just 26 balls to reach his fifty in 21 deliveries. He opened the game by scoring 101 runs off just 45 balls from Kohli.Captain Rajat Patidar’s quick-fire knock of 31 off 12 balls further added momentum and ensured that there were no hiccups despite a brief double strike from SRH’s paceman David Payne.RCB posted a score of 203/4 in just 15.4 overs, finishing the chase with a 26-ball advantage, displaying sheer batting dominance.Kishan shines, Duffy impresses on debutEarlier, SRH posted a competitive 201/9 after taking the field. alternate captain Ishan Kishan He took the lead with 80 off 38 balls on the back of Aniket Verma’s late blitz, who struck 43 off 18 balls.However, an early injury to debutant Jacob Duffy left SRH with an impressive record of 29/3 as he took an impressive 3/22. Kishanhe Heinrich Klassen A score of 97 steadied the innings, but the momentum faltered after Klassen’s controversial outing near the boundary.Despite batting late, Hyderabad’s total was not enough against RCB’s aggressive batting unit.All eyes on Wankhede on SundayWith the first game result setting a high benchmark, the focus now shifts to Mumbai as Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their second game of the season.After a strong start to RCB’s title defense, both teams are eager to make a statement early as the pace of IPL 2026 gathers pace.
