Kohli holds the pose, Duffy flies: RCB launch IPL 2026 with record chase to crush SRH

The Indian Premier League returned with a bang on Saturday as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosted Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener at a packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. What followed was not just a win but a statement. RCB hunted down 202 with six wickets and 26 balls to spare the fastest successful chase of a 200-plus target in IPL history to kick off their title defence in style.

Put in, SRH were soon in trouble. New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy, playing his first IPL match, quickly showed why RCB had trusted him to fill the gap left by the injured Josh Hazlewood. Hitting hard lengths and drawing top edges with the short ball, Duffy ripped through the top order in his four-over spell, finishing with 3 for 22; Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Nitish Kumar Reddy all fell to his accuracy. Stand-in captain Ishan Kishan, leading an IPL side for the first time, counter-attacked superbly. He raced to a 27-ball fifty and went on to 80 off 38, finding the boundaries at will against spin and pace. A bustling 97-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen and a late 18-ball 43 from Aniket Verma propelled SRH to 201 for 9 on a flat batting surface.

Instead of folding under pressure, RCB’s top order made light of the chase. Phil Salt departure brought together Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli, and they simply took the game away. Padikkal unleashed a high-intent 61 off just 26 balls his fifty coming in 21 balls repeatedly clearing the ropes and piercing the gaps. Kohli, batting for the first time since January, oozed timing and control, finishing 69 not out off 38 in a 101-run stand that turned a stiff target into a formality. Rajat Patidar then provided the finishing touch with a brisk 31 off 12 to close out the chase in 15.4 overs.

Beyond the numbers, it was an evening of moments. Kohli’s straight six off Eshan Malinga in the seventh over a classic, checked drive down the ground ended with the batsman holding his pose, bat-face towards the sightscreen, as the ball sailed into the stands. Englishman Phil Salt, who failed with the bat, more than made up for it in the field. His juggling, tumbling effort near the mid wicket boundary to dismiss Klaasen inches from the cushions drew roars from the Chinnaswamy and effectively stalled SRH’s acceleration. Salt then pulled off another sharp grab to remove Kishan in the 16th over, underlining his value as a game-changer in the outfield.

By the end, SRH’s 201 looked hopelessly short. RCB’s batting depth and bold approach backed by Duffy’s dream debut turned the opener into a one-sided spectacle , for RCB it was the ideal start for the rest of the IPL, a timely warning that the champions mean business. And the fireworks crackled over Bengaluru, one thing was clear RCB aren’t just defending their title; they’re coming for more.

By Aaryan Kumar