Kohli, Padikkal blitz powers RCB to ruthless chase in IPL 2026 opener against SRH

Bengaluru: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) launched their title defence in style with a commanding six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026 opening game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing 202, RCB made light work of the target, galloping home in just 15.4 overs, thanks to fluent half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli, playing a T20 game after ten months, remained unbeaten on 69 off 38 balls, laced with five fours and as many sixes to smash his 64th IPL fifty and leave the Chinnaswamy crowd enthralled.

Padikkal, meanwhile, was elegant in his timing and wristy stroke-play to hit a rollicking 61 off 26 balls, studded with seven fours and four sixes, and set the tone for the chase to be wrapped up with 26 balls to spare.

At the halfway stage, SRH’s 201/9 looked competitive, but the manner in which Kohli and Padikkal, along with captain Rajat Patidar’s 12-ball 31 dismantled a toothless bowling attack suggested even 250 would not have sufficed on the night.

Veteran left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat struck in his very first over to give Sunrisers Hyderabad an early breakthrough, as he dismissed Phil Salt with a length ball that stopped on the batter and popped up to mid-of, who dodged a collision with his fellow fielder.

In the same over, Padikkal got going by flicking over deep square leg for six, while Kohli got off the mark with a slice over mid-off. Padikkal, however, continued his flying start by racing to 28 off 10 balls. He welcomed David Payne to the IPL with a six over cover-point, before whipping him for a four and six, as RCB reached 51 runs in just four overs.

Kohli soon joined the assault, manufacturing pace against Unadkat’s cutter and flat-batting him through cover, after having whipped him for six. With Padikkal collecting two more boundaries, RCB dominated the powerplay, as they amassed 73 runs for the loss of Salt.

Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad rode on captain Ishan Kishan’s fluent 80 off 38 balls and a blazing late flourish from Aniket Verma (43 off just 18 balls) to post 201/9 in their 20 overs.

Asked to bat first on a two-paced pitch, SRH lost three wickets in power-play, but then a solid 97-run stand off 53 balls between an in-form Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen (31) steadied them. After that, SRH lost wickets in a cluster again, but thanks to Aniket’s sparkling cameo showcasing his six-hitting prowess, the side went past 200-mark.

For RCB, Jacob Duffy shined on IPL debut by executing his back of the length balls well to pick 3-22, while Romario Shepherd grabbed 3-54. Put in to bat, SRH endured a jittery start. The innings began with drama right from the word go as Duffy removed Abhishek Sharma when a top-edge on pull was caught by Jitesh Sharma.

Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 201/9 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 80, Aniket Verma 43; Jacob Duffy 3-22, Romario Shepherd 3-54) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 203/4 in 15.4 overs (Virat Kohli 69 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 61; David Payne 2-35, Jaydev Unadkat 1-29) by six wickets. IANS

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