RCB defeated SRH in the IPL 2026 season opener at Chinnaswamy after chasing down 201 with 203/4 in 16 overs, led by a fluent Virat Kohli half-century.
RCB clinch thriller against SRH as Kohli leads record chase (PC: IPL/X)
The Indian Premier League 2026 season got underway at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru beginning their title defence in style, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring opener.
SRH posted a strong 201/9, with Ishan Kishan leading the side as captain, but RCB responded with a dominant chase, finishing at 203/4 in just 16 overs.
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Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a fluent half-century, while Rajat Patidar and Tim David provided strong support as RCB took control in the latter stages.
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In the end, RCB’s explosive batting proved too strong as they sealed a commanding win in front of their home crowd to kick off their campaign on a high.
RCB vs SRH: Playing XIs
RCB XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma.
SRH XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c/wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.
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