The wait is finally over! The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season kicked off today, March 28, at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In a replay of the 2016 final, the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced off against a revamped Sunrisers Hyderabad in what promised to be a high-octane encounter.
Match Overview: The Battle of Bengaluru
RCB entered the stadium with the weight of expectations as defending champions, greeted by a sea of red. Meanwhile, SRH looked to turn a new leaf under the leadership of Ishan Kishan, stepping in for the injured Pat Cummins.
-
Toss: RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and elected to bowl first, citing the evening dew factor and the ground’s reputation for successful chases.
-
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
-
Date: March 28, 2026.
SRH Innings: Early Jolts and Jacob Duffy’s Fire
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s “gung-ho” batting approach met a fierce challenge early on. New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy, making his debut for RCB, tore through the SRH top order in a sensational powerplay spell.
-
Abhishek Sharma (11 off 5): Started with a massive six but was hurried by a Duffy short ball, top-edging it to the keeper.
-
Travis Head (5 off 6): The dangerous Aussie opener struggled to find timing before holing out to deep mid-wicket off another Duffy delivery.
-
Nitish Kumar Reddy (1 off 3): Departed cheaply as Duffy claimed his third wicket in just three overs, leaving SRH reeling at 33/3.
At the time of this report, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen are steadying the ship, looking to exploit the short 65m boundaries to post a competitive total.
Playing XI: RCB vs SRH Today
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB):
-
Phil Salt
-
Virat Kohli
-
Rajat Patidar (C)
-
Jitesh Sharma (WK)
-
Tim David
-
Romario Shepherd
-
Krunal Pandya
-
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
-
Abhinandan Singh
-
Jacob Duffy
-
Suyash Sharma
-
Impact Sub Options: Devdutt Padikkal, Venkatesh Iyer.
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH):
-
Abhishek Sharma
-
Travis Head
-
Ishan Kishan (C/WK)
-
Heinrich Klaasen
-
Aniket Verma
-
Nitish Kumar Reddy
-
Salil Arora (Debut)
-
Harsh Dubey
-
Harshal Patel
-
Jaydev Unadkat
-
Eshan Malinga
-
Impact Sub Options: Liam Livingstone, David Payne.
Key Highlights for Fans
-
Defending Champions: RCB starts the season as title holders after their 2025 triumph.
-
Missing Captains: SRH is without Pat Cummins; Ishan Kishan takes the helm.
-
Chinnaswamy Pitch: A high-scoring paradise with an average 1st innings score of 185+.
-
Where to Watch: Live on Star Sports Network and streaming on JioHotstar.
Fantasy Cricket Tips
For those playing Dream11 or other fantasy leagues, Virat Kohli remains a must-have given his prolific record at this venue. Abhishek Sharma and Phil Salt are high-risk, high-reward picks for the captaincy slot due to their aggressive strike rates.
| Live Update | Highlight |
|---|---|
| LIVE 1 | Click Here |
| LIVE 2 | Click Here |
| LIVE 3 | Click Here |
| LIVE 4 | Click Here |
| LIVE 5 | Click Here |
| LIVE 6 | Click Here |
| LIVE 7 | Click Here |
| LIVE 8 | Click Here |
