Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their IPL 2026campaign with a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. SRH posted 201/9 in their 20 overs, with captain Ishan Kishan leading the recovery after early setbacks. He scored a brilliant 80 off 38 balls to stabilise the innings. For RCB, Jacob Duffy and Romario Shepherd picked up three wickets each to restrict the opposition.

In response, RCB chased down the 202-run target comfortably, thanks to a superb partnership between Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli. The duo stitched together a century stand, with Padikkal scoring a fluent 61, while Kohli remained unbeaten on 69 to guide the defending champions home.

For SRH, David Payne was the standout bowler, claiming two wickets, but it wasn’t enough to stop RCB from opening their account in the 19th edition with a convincing win.

Key Moments from Match 1 of IPL 2026: 1) Duffy rattles SRH top order

New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy made an immediate impact in his maiden IPL appearance, delivering a brilliant spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He dismantled the top order, finishing with impressive figures of 3/22 in four overs at an economy rate of 5.50.

Duffy removed key batters Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, putting RCB on top early in the innings.

2) Ishan’s blitz steadies the innings in Bengaluru

After early setbacks, captain Ishan Kishan played a crucial knock to revive SRH’s innings. The left-hander scored a scintillating 80 off 38 balls, smashing eight fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 210.53. He also stitched a vital 97-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen for the fourth wicket, helping SRH post a competitive total.

3) Padikkal-Kohli continue their dominance

Following the early dismissal of Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli took charge of the chase with a commanding display. The duo added 101 runs in just 45 balls for the second wicket, shifting the momentum firmly in RCB’s favour. Padikkal played an explosive knock of 61 off 26 balls, while Kohli anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, guiding RCB to a comfortable victory.