Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will aim to get a winning start to their campaign when they start their title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It is the curtain raiser to the 19th edition of the toughest T20 League in the world as the Indian Premier League is all set to dazzle us for the next 2 and a bit months. As is the custom, defending champions start their campaign at home and so, RCB are beginning their campaign in Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB will be once again led by title-winning captain Rajat Patidar and the team has retained the same nucleus of the side. Although they have been affected by injuries and unavailability of players due to injuries for the first phase of the tournament. There will be no Josh Hazlewood nor Yash Dayal with Yash ruled out of the entire tournament for personal reasons. There will be no Nuwan Thushara who has been ruled out due to not being fit and NOC not given by SLC.
SRH, on the other hand, will be led by Ishan Kishan in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins. They have got a power packed side full of superstars but the bowling looks thin in the absence of Cummins. The batting on paper looks dangerous to all of us. So, the stage is set for the curtain raiser of IPL 2026 as the Indian festival of cricket is finally here.
Overview
In the curtain raiser of IPL 2026, we are set to witness a battle of epic proportions as the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to host the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28th 2026. The game is set to be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and the match is set to start at 7:30 PM IST. There will be no opening ceremony in IPL 2026 as BCCI decided to call it off due to the stampede that happened in RCB celebrations last year which left 11 people dead.
RCB will be led by Rajat Patidar the title-winning captain and he will most likely have keeper batter Jitesh Sharma as his deputy as it was last season. But the whole RCB batting will revolve around that man Virat Kohli yet again. Kohli will be hungry for runs and he is always key for the Men in Red and Gold. Phil Salt may have had an indifferent run in the T20 World Cup 2026, but he is a dangerous player and batting alongside Kohli could get his mojo back.
Devdutt Padikkal has been in excellent form in domestic cricket and we expect him to be given the nod ahead of newly acquired player Venkatesh Iyer who is also a handy option. Rajat Patidar is there as captain and spin basher in middle order and middle overs. Jitesh Sharma will play the role of finisher alongside Tim David and Romario Shepherd. There is a man in form in Jacob Bethell who was excellent in the semis against India, but whether he gets a game remains to be seen.
The spin bowling department will be handled by Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma and the duo did a splendid job last season and will they be able to do it again remains to be seen. The fast bowling has been depleted with Yash Dayal ruled out and Josh Hazlewood uncertain as to when is he going to join the team. They have Jacob Duffy in their ranks. Also, latest news is Nuwan Thushara has been declined NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket for being unfit. So, all eyes will be on veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead the depleted attack.
They have got youngsters like Mangesh Yadav, Rasikh Dar, Abhinandan Singh to name a few. How much game time will they get remains to be seen. Jordan Cox is also part of their squad but is unlikely to get a look-in straightaway in this side is what we feel. Overall, RCB still a good side, but hampered by injuries in pace department.
The 2016 champions, SRH, will be led by Ishan Kishan for the first phase with Pat Cummins sitting out due to back injury for quite a while it seems. When we look at SRH, it is a team full of power packed batters but weak bowling line-up to say the least. The Orange Army, even with Pat Cummins in the side was weak and now with the original captain not there, it is even weaker. But their batting remains their strength.
Travis Head will open the batting with Abhishek Sharma. Travi-shekh as they are popularly called can destroy any bowling attack from the start. Then the stand-in-captain Ishan Kishan will bat at 3 and he is in red hot form. It won’t be a bad idea for new acquisition Liam Livingstone to bat at 4 followed by Heinrich Klaasen at 5 and then Nitish Kumar Reddy. On paper, this top 6 is as good and explosive as any one would see. This is their strength. SRH needs bat vs bat contests to thrive in IPL 2026.
With no Pat Cummins, SRH has a weakened bowling line-up. They will be forced to play new acquisition Brydon Carse. Eshan Malinga has been cleared and given NOC, so he is with SRH. There is Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat in the ranks. Shivam Mavi is also a part of the set-up. The spin department has Zeeshan Ansari in their ranks. David Payne has also just joined the set-up as a fast bowler. Kamindu Mendis is also part of the side for the Orange Army.
Both sides have been depleted with injuries to the bowling and pace bowling department. No Cummins, Hazlewood, Dayal, and Thushara as we kickstart the season. Which team will come out on top in this one and begin campaign on a high? Only time will tell.
Head-To-HeadÂ
RCB and SRH have met against each other on 25 occasions in which RCB have won 11 games while SRH have won 13 games. One match ended in a No Result. In the last 10 matches, it is 6-4 in the favour of the Orange Army. The two teams met once in 2025 which was on 23rd May and SRH won the contest by 42 runs.
Pitch & Weather ReportÂ
The pitch in Bengaluru is renowned for batting and it is a paradise for the batters with short boundaries. The average score is 194 and fast bowlers have picked up 40 wickets while spinners have taken 14 wickets in last five games. Teams winning the toss will heavily favour chasing.
Bengaluru will experience clear skies with temperatures hovering around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius. There is zero rain impact expected during the match hours. However, the dew factor will be massive in the second innings, making the ball skid nicely onto the bat.
Probable Playing XI of both sidesÂ
RCB XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma (Impact Player), Rasikh Dar (Impact Player).
SRH XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadakat.
Key Players to watch out for in this clashÂ
Virat Kohli: He is the lynchpin of RCB batting and the greatest of all time IPL batter. Virat Kohli epitomises hunger, fitness and consistency. Now, that he plays one format, his hunger has grown and he is fitter than ever. He loves the Chinnaswamy and would like to make a mark in this game and prove his greatness.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The swing king Bhuvneshwar Kumar is at the twilight of his career. But with bowlers getting injured and not available initially, Bhuvi will be expected to spearhead the challenge for RCB. Last year, he was a great supporting act to Hazlewood. This year, he may have to do the lead again from the pace department in the initial matches.
Ishan Kishan: With captaincy in his shoulders, and the man in form lately Ishan would want to cash in on this big opportunity that has come his way big time. Batting at 3, after the explosive duo of Head and Sharma, Ishan has the chance to guide the innings forward, rebuild if necessary and then go after the bowling. He is ideal player to have at 3.
Harshal Patel: With Pat Cummins out injured, all eyes will be on Harshal Patel to lead the SRH depleted bowling attack. Harshal has a fair knowledge of playing in Bengaluru having played for RCB before. So, he will be motivated to lead his troops against his old team and do well for his new team SRH.
Predicted/Possible Outcome of the Match.Â
It is difficult to predict the winner of the match so early with not a single ball bowled. Both teams are evenly matched and have their similar injury woes. SRH has a slight edge in H2H overall, but RCB leads the Orange Army 5-3 in Bengaluru. So, there is nothing really in it. Bowling is weak for both, but SRH’s bowling on paper is weaker.
So, considering all that we will RCB has a slight edge and may win the first game. But SRH might upset the apple cards and turn the tables on the home team. Let’s see how things unfold in curtain raiser of IPL 2026.
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