SRH paid the price for poor bowling discipline vs Kohli-Padikkal: Vettori on RCB loss
IPL 2026: Daniel Vettori said SRH's poor bowling discipline cost them vs RCB. Kohli and Padikkal dominated the chase in Bengaluru.
Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori admitted that poor bowling discipline cost his side dearly against Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal as Royal Challengers Bengaluru cruised to a dominant win in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru.
Chasing 202 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB made light work of the target, getting home in just 15.4 overs. Speaking after the loss, Vettori explained how SRH’s lack of control with the ball allowed RCB’s batters to dictate terms.
| RCB vs SRH: Scorecard - Highlights |
“I think 200, maybe a couple of years ago, you’d feel safe with that. But we understand where the game has gone now and how destructive that RCB batting lineup is. You have to get a good start, which we did with Phil Salt, but we just weren’t at our best with the ball.”
“We weren’t as disciplined as we needed to be and gave a lot of scoring opportunities to Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who played exceptionally well. I thought the intent Padikkal showed when he came in put us right back under pressure, when we should have been able to maintain control after that important phase.”
Padikkal’s blistering 61 off just 26 balls, including a 21-ball fifty, set the tone for the chase, while Kohli anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69. Rajat Patidar’s quickfire 31 also ensured there was no let-up as RCB began their title defence in emphatic fashion.
Earlier, SRH had posted a competitive 201 for nine after being asked to bat first. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the fightback with a 38-ball 80 after a shaky start, with Ankit Verma adding valuable late runs. However, the total proved insufficient against a relentless RCB batting unit.
DID SRH DEPEND TOO MUCH ON DAVID PAYNE VS RCB?
Vettori also shed light on SRH’s reliance on David Payne, who had only just joined the squad as a replacement option only a day before their IPL 2026 opener.
“We hadn’t seen him in the nets because he had only just arrived yesterday. With Brydon Carse's injury, it made things challenging. Carse would have played if he had been fit, but unfortunately he wasn’t.”
“So we put a lot of pressure on David straight after he arrived. But he’s played 200–300 T20s and has been effective in most countries he’s played in. His strengths are his variations and accuracy, so we felt he could offer that balance.”
Despite picking up two quick wickets, Payne struggled overall, conceding 35 runs in his three overs. With key players like Pat Cummins and Brydon Carse unavailable, SRH’s bowling attack lacked a cutting edge and struggled to contain RCB’s aggressive approach.
The defeat has once again highlighted SRH’s dependence on disciplined bowling, especially on a batting-friendly surface like Bengaluru. Without that control, even a 200-plus total proved far from safe.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori admitted that poor bowling discipline cost his side dearly against Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal as Royal Challengers Bengaluru cruised to a dominant win in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru.
Chasing 202 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, RCB made light work of the target, getting home in just 15.4 overs. Speaking after the loss, Vettori explained how SRH’s lack of control with the ball allowed RCB’s batters to dictate terms.
| RCB vs SRH: Scorecard - Highlights |
“I think 200, maybe a couple of years ago, you’d feel safe with that. But we understand where the game has gone now and how destructive that RCB batting lineup is. You have to get a good start, which we did with Phil Salt, but we just weren’t at our best with the ball.”
“We weren’t as disciplined as we needed to be and gave a lot of scoring opportunities to Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who played exceptionally well. I thought the intent Padikkal showed when he came in put us right back under pressure, when we should have been able to maintain control after that important phase.”
Padikkal’s blistering 61 off just 26 balls, including a 21-ball fifty, set the tone for the chase, while Kohli anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69. Rajat Patidar’s quickfire 31 also ensured there was no let-up as RCB began their title defence in emphatic fashion.
Earlier, SRH had posted a competitive 201 for nine after being asked to bat first. Stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan led the fightback with a 38-ball 80 after a shaky start, with Ankit Verma adding valuable late runs. However, the total proved insufficient against a relentless RCB batting unit.
DID SRH DEPEND TOO MUCH ON DAVID PAYNE VS RCB?
Vettori also shed light on SRH’s reliance on David Payne, who had only just joined the squad as a replacement option only a day before their IPL 2026 opener.
“We hadn’t seen him in the nets because he had only just arrived yesterday. With Brydon Carse's injury, it made things challenging. Carse would have played if he had been fit, but unfortunately he wasn’t.”
“So we put a lot of pressure on David straight after he arrived. But he’s played 200–300 T20s and has been effective in most countries he’s played in. His strengths are his variations and accuracy, so we felt he could offer that balance.”
Despite picking up two quick wickets, Payne struggled overall, conceding 35 runs in his three overs. With key players like Pat Cummins and Brydon Carse unavailable, SRH’s bowling attack lacked a cutting edge and struggled to contain RCB’s aggressive approach.
The defeat has once again highlighted SRH’s dependence on disciplined bowling, especially on a batting-friendly surface like Bengaluru. Without that control, even a 200-plus total proved far from safe.
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