Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru kicked off their IPL 2026 campaign in style, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in a high-scoring opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a daunting target of 202, RCB recovered quickly after losing Phil Salt early. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal launched a stunning counterattack, stitching together a blazing 101-run stand for the second wicket. The hosts raced to 76 in the powerplay and crossed the 100-run mark within nine overs.

Padikkal, brought in as an Impact substitute for Jacob Duffy, played a sensational knock of 61 off just 26 balls, smashing seven fours and four sixes before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey.

RCB skipper Rajat Patidar then joined Kohli to keep up the momentum. The duo added a quickfire 53 runs in just 22 balls, with Patidar hammering 31 off 12 deliveries, including two fours and three sixes.

Kohli anchored the chase with authority, blending elegance with aggression. He ensured the innings stayed on track despite a brief setback when Jitesh Sharma departed for a duck. Tim David chipped in with a handy 16 off 10 balls towards the end.

Kohli brought up his half-century in just 33 balls and remained unbeaten on 69 off 38 deliveries, sealing the win with 26 balls to spare in a dominant finish.

Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 201/9 after being put in to bat, thanks to a brilliant 80 off 38 balls from captain Ishan Kishan and a late cameo from Aniket Verma.

SRH had a shaky start as Jacob Duffy struck early blows, dismissing Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Nitish Kumar Reddy to put the visitors under pressure.

Kishan then rebuilt the innings alongside Heinrich Klaasen, with the duo adding 97 runs off 53 balls. Kishan played a superb innings, hitting eight fours and five sixes, while Klaasen contributed 31 before falling near the boundary to a sharp catch by Phil Salt.

RCB bowlers kept chipping away with regular wickets. Suyash Sharma dismissed Salil Arora, while Kishan’s wicket proved crucial as Salt pulled off a stunning one-handed catch.

Aniket Verma provided late fireworks with a quick 43 off 18 balls, helping SRH cross the 200-run mark despite losing wickets at regular intervals.

For RCB, Jacob Duffy impressed on debut with figures of 3/22, while Romario Shepherd also picked up three wickets, finishing with 3/54.

Brief Scores:

Sunrisers Hyderabad – 201/9 (Ishan Kishan 80, Aniket Verma 43; Jacob Duffy 3/22, Romario Shepherd 3/54)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru – 203/4 in 15.4 overs (Virat Kohli 69, Devdutt Padikkal 61, Rajat Patidar 31)

RCB won by 6 wickets