Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match of IPL 2026. The match took place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. RCB chased down a target of 202 in just 15.4 overs and won by 6 wickets with more than four overs to spare.
Devdutt Padikkal launched the chase with a blazing fifty and stitched a 101-run century stand with Virat Kohli. Skipper Rajat Patidar contributed a quickfire 31 off just 12 balls before falling in the 13th over. Kohli finished the job with 69* off 38 balls, becoming the first batter in IPL history to cross 4000 runs in chases.
For SRH, the batting was led by Ishan Kishan (80 off 38 balls) and Aniket Verma (43 off 18 balls). The bowling attack looked toothless without Pat Cummins. David Payne was the pick with 2 wickets. Heinrich Klaasen dropped a crucial chance when Kohli was on 29, a miss that proved very costly.
Match Summary: RCB vs SRH, IPL 2026 Match 1
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| SRH Score | 201/9 (20 overs) |
| RCB Score | 203/4 (15.4 overs) |
| Match Result | RCB won by 6 wickets (26 balls remaining) |
| Best Batting (RCB) | Virat Kohli – 69* off 38 balls |
| Best Bowling (SRH) | David Payne – 2/35 in 3 overs |
| Player of the Match | Jacob Duffy (RCB) |
SRH Innings: 201/9 in 20 Overs
Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a competitive 201/9 from their 20 overs at Chinnaswamy. The surface was expected to be a batting paradise, and SRH made good use of it in the first innings.
SRH crossed 200 in the final over despite losing wickets at regular intervals. Ishan Kishan led the SRH outfit in a leadership audition role. The total of 201 looked par or slightly above on this surface.
Harshal Patel (0/39 in 2.4 overs) and Jaydev Unadkat (1/29 in 3 overs) were the primary death-over threats but could not defend the total against a rampant RCB top order.
RCB Chase: 203/4 in 15.4 Overs
RCB’s chase was dominant from the first over. Devdutt Padikkal set the tone with 61 off 26 balls. He and Kohli put on a 101-run partnership that broke the game open.
RCB reached 126/1 after 10 overs, putting the match well beyond SRH’s reach. Skipper Rajat Patidar then accelerated with 31 off 12 balls before David Payne dismissed him in the 13th over. Payne struck twice in quick succession to give SRH brief hope.
Virat Kohli stayed calm and guided RCB to the win alongside Tim David (16* off 10). Kohli hit the winning boundary in the 16th over with an upper cut off Harshal Patel. Klaasen’s drop at 8.1 overs proved the turning point of the match.
David Payne was SRH’s best bowler with 2/35 in 3 overs. The SRH attack was notably weakened by the absence of Pat Cummins.
Key Highlight: Virat Kohli’s Historic Milestone
Virat Kohli set a new IPL record during RCB’s chase. Here are the key numbers from his innings:
- Runs scored: 69* (not out)
- Balls faced: 38
- Historic milestone: First batter to cross 4000 IPL runs in successful chases
- Partnership: 101 runs with Devdutt Padikkal
Kohli stayed composed after Patidar fell and guided RCB to a comfortable win. Jacob Duffy was rightly awarded Player of the Match for his match-defining 3-wicket haul on debut. RCB laid down an early marker as defending champions with this dominant opening performance.
