Bengaluru, March 29: In the opening match of the 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets. The victory was bolstered by outstanding half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, along with a remarkable performance from fast bowler Jacob Duffy, who earned the Player of the Match award in his debut game.
Duffy took three wickets for just 22 runs in four overs, dismantling SRH’s top order by claiming the crucial wickets of Head, Abhishek, and Nitish Reddy.
After the match, Duffy expressed his excitement, stating, “It feels great. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Bengaluru and RCB. This is an amazing way to start the campaign. I’m just trying to fill in for the big player (Hazlewood). We identified that the new ball has a bit of an impact here in Bengaluru. We discussed a lot about the conditions and what works here. This wicket is a bit different. I haven’t seen a wicket with this kind of bounce in the last few months. As long as the ball remains new and hard, it’s the best time to bowl.”
In the match, SRH, batting first after losing the toss, scored 201 runs for the loss of nine wickets, thanks to Ishan Kishan’s 80 and Aniket Verma’s 43. RCB chased down the target, scoring 203 runs for four wickets in just 15.4 overs, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 69 and Padikkal contributing 61 runs.
Both captains, Ishan Kishan of SRH and Rajat Patidar of RCB, praised Kohli’s impressive innings of 69 runs off 38 balls during the chase.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
