Bengaluru, March 29: In a thrilling start to the 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets. The match, held at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, showcased explosive performances from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who both scored half-centuries to lead RCB to victory.
Chasing a target of 202 runs set by SRH, RCB reached 203 runs in just 15.4 overs, losing four wickets in the process. Padikkal, coming in as an impact player, scored a quick 61 runs off just 26 balls, hitting four sixes and seven fours. He formed a crucial partnership of 101 runs for the second wicket with Kohli, who remained unbeaten at 69 runs off 38 balls, including five sixes and five fours.
Captain Rajat Patidar contributed 31 runs off 12 balls, while Tim David finished not out on 16 runs. Earlier, SRH, batting first after losing the toss, managed to score 201 runs for the loss of nine wickets. Their innings began poorly, losing three wickets for just 29 runs. However, a solid partnership between captain Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, who added 97 runs for the fourth wicket, helped stabilize the innings. Kishan scored 80 runs off 38 balls, while Klaasen made 31 runs off 22 balls.
Aniketh Verma also made a notable contribution, scoring 43 runs off 18 balls to push SRH past the 200-run mark. For RCB, Jacob Duffy and Romario Shepherd took three wickets each, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, and SuYash Sharma claimed one wicket each.
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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.