Virat Kohli starred with an unbeaten 69 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opened their Indian Premier League title defence with an impressive six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chasing 202 on a flat, batting-friendly pitch in Bengaluru, RCB reached 203-4 in just 15.4 overs. Kohli, playing his first match since January, anchored the innings with poise, while Devdutt Padikkal added a quickfire 61 from 26 balls. Captain Rajat Patidar contributed 31 from 12 deliveries to ensure a commanding chase.
England’s Phil Salt produced a spectacular diving catch at deep cover to dismiss Sunrisers’ Ishan Kishan for 80, but Sunrisers could not recover on the pitch. New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy impressed with 3-22, and England left-armer David Payne took 2-35 on his IPL debut, but their efforts could not halt RCB’s dominant chase.
RCB’s successful pursuit of over 200 runs marked the fastest in IPL history for such a target. Kohli now has 21 scores of 50-plus in successful chases, extending his record in the competition.
Sunrisers’ innings saw Ishan Kishan top-scoring with 80 from 38 balls. RCB’s victory sets a high benchmark for the 2026 season as five-time champions Mumbai Indians prepare to face Kolkata Knight Riders in the next match.
Several England players feature in IPL 2026. Jos Buttler, Tom Banton, and Luke Wood play for Gujarat Titans, while Salt, Jacob Bethell, and Jordan Cox are with RCB. Jofra Archer returns with Rajasthan Royals, Jamie Overton with Chennai Super Kings, and Will Jacks represents Mumbai Indians. Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, and David Payne are with Sunrisers Hyderabad, although not all played in the opener. Ben Duckett opted out to focus on County Championship, and Sam Curran is sidelined due to injury.
