Bengaluru, March 28 (NationPress) The reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), kicked off their title defence in spectacular fashion, securing a decisive six-wicket victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) during the IPL 2026 season opener at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

In pursuit of a target of 202 runs, RCB made the chase appear effortless, finishing the match in a brisk 15.4 overs. This success was propelled by impressive half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli, returning to T20 action after a ten-month hiatus, remained not out at 69 off 38 deliveries, featuring five boundaries and as many sixes, marking his 64th IPL fifty and thrilling the crowd at Chinnaswamy.

Padikkal showcased elegant timing and wristy strokes, scoring a rapid 61 off just 26 balls, including seven fours and four sixes, setting the stage for RCB to wrap up the chase with 26 balls to spare.

Initially, SRH’s total of 201/9 seemed competitive. However, the explosive performances from Kohli and Padikkal, alongside captain Rajat Patidar’s quick-fire 31 off 12 balls, suggested that even a target of 250 might not have been enough.

Veteran left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat struck early, dismissing Phil Salt with a well-pitched delivery that led to a catch in the outfield.

In the same over, Padikkal initiated his innings with a six over deep square leg, while Kohli opened his account with a shot over mid-off. Padikkal continued his aggressive start, racing to 28 runs off just 10 balls. He welcomed David Payne to IPL with a six over cover-point, followed by a four and another six, as RCB quickly amassed 51 runs in just four overs.

Kohli joined the assault, expertly handling Unadkat’s cutter, hitting through cover after already dispatching a six. With Padikkal adding two more boundaries, RCB dominated the powerplay, scoring 73 runs while losing only Salt.

Kohli exhibited a classic stroke against Eshan Malinga, lofting a delivery over the bowler’s head, lifting the crowd. He was fortunate on 28 when Heinrich Klaasen misjudged a catch at long-on.

Padikkal continued to dominate, reaching a rapid 21-ball fifty—the fastest of his IPL career—before falling for 61, caught at long-off against Dubey. Kohli showcased his power by launching a six over square leg off Harshal Patel and sending Dubey’s delivery soaring for another six.

Rajat Patidar joined the fun with a crisp four through backward point and a six over long-on off Patel and Dubey. With Malinga struggling with his lengths, Patidar slammed him for a four and two sixes, amassing 22 runs in the 12th over.

Despite Patidar and Jitesh Sharma falling on consecutive deliveries to Payne, Kohli pushed on to register his fifty in 33 balls, followed by Tim David, who hit two quick boundaries. Kohli then lofted, pulled, and sliced Patel for a six and two fours, finishing the chase with an upper-cut through third man to seal a remarkable victory.

Final Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 201/9 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 80, Aniket Verma 43; Jacob Duffy 3-22, Romario Shepherd 3-54) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 203/4 in 15.4 overs (Virat Kohli 69 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 61; David Payne 2-35, Jaydev Unadkat 1-29) by six wickets.