Ruthless RCB feast on SRH bowling buffet to begin IPL title defence in style

Brief Score: RCB (203 for 4 in 15.4 overs) beat SRH (201 for 9 in 20 overs) by six wickets in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Scorecard - Highlights |

Royal Challengers Bengaluru used the opening night of IPL 2026 to send a statement to the rest of the league. Led by a clinical bowling display from Jacob Duffy and a ruthless showing with the bat, the defending champions hammered a listless SunRisers Hyderabad by six wickets and with 26 balls to spare in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28. Last year, RCB began with three straight home defeats; this time, they started strong, signalling a serious title defence.

Ishan Kishan's 80 proved in vain as SunRisers lacked bite. While he flourished with the bat, rescuing his side from 29 for 3, the T20 World Cup hero – standing in as captain in Pat Cummins's absence – endured a difficult outing behind the stumps and with his on-field calls.

It was not entirely his fault. Without Cummins, SunRisers' bowling attack looked blunt. The decision to leave out uncapped wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar and tearaway quick Brydon Carse robbed them of any X-factor as they defended 201. The SunRisers might have found better use for Abrar Ahmed in Bengaluru than Leeds.

The gulf in quality between the two new-ball attacks ultimately proved decisive. Duffy, a former World No. 1 T20I bowler, ripped through the SunRisers top order, neutralising the threat of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma within the first four overs. In contrast, SRH appeared devoid of a plan, fumbling with the new ball. Turning to the struggling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy early on only underlined the lack of firepower in their attack.

RCB ROAR IN BENGALURU

Cricket returned to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time since last year's tragic stampede, and the loyal home support could scarcely have asked for a better restart. After restricting SunRisers to 201 – a par total at a venue notorious as a bowler's graveyard – RCB operated in top gear throughout the chase, completing it in just 15.4 overs.

Devdutt Padikkal was the standout with the bat, picking up from where he left off in domestic cricket. Used as an Impact Player, the left-hander smashed 61 off 26 balls, striking four sixes and six fours with effortless elegance. It felt like a performance waiting to happen, as Padikkal dismantled the SunRisers attack while proving that timing and placement still thrive alongside brute force in modern T20 cricket. Fresh from a 725-run Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, he has already put himself in early contention for the Orange Cap.

Virat Kohli was content to play second fiddle initially – first to Padikkal and then to captain Rajat Patidar, who blazed 31 off just 12 balls. But whenever he took strike, Kohli ensured full value for the crowd. He anchored the innings while still producing enough flair to dominate the highlight reels. A lofted drive against Ehsan Malinga was one of the early contenders for the shot of the tournament.

Returning to competitive cricket after a two-month break, Kohli looked as though he had never been away. His fluency was no surprise – the 37-year-old has been in the form of his life, with four centuries in his last eight first-class matches. Despite focusing largely on one-day cricket, he had clearly put in the work ahead of the new season, and the rewards arrived immediately.

Kohli brought up his fifty from 33 balls, holding the innings together even as RCB briefly lost Patidar and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma in quick succession during the middle overs.

He then finished things off with authority. Taking on former team-mate Harshal Patel, Kohli struck a six and three boundaries in a single over to seal the chase as early as the 16th. He remained unbeaten on 69 from just 38 balls, ensuring RCB not only began their title defence in style but also received a significant boost to their net run rate.

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