Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began their TATA IPL 2026 campaign in commanding fashion, chasing down a stiff target of 202 to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets with 26 balls to spare at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

After winning the toss, RCB opted to bowl and were rewarded almost immediately by debutant Jacob Duffy, who delivered a dream start in his first outing to win the player of the match award. The New Zealand pacer dismantled SRH’s top order with a probing spell upfront, removing Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy inside the powerplay. He got his wickets with back of a length deliveries, finishing with impressive figures of 3/22 from his four overs.

What a way to announce your arrival in the #TATAIPL! 🔥#RCB fans, how would you rate Jacob Duffy's fiery debut start in the powerplay? ❤️

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From a position of early trouble, SRH rebuilt through a counter-attacking partnership between stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. The pair shifted gears decisively, taking on both pace and spin to stitch together a 97-run stand off 53 balls. Klaasen played the aggressor initially before falling in the 14th over for a brisk 31 off 22 deliveries.

Kishan, however, carried on in dominant fashion, unleashing a range of strokes to keep the scoreboard moving at a rapid rate. His innings of 80 off 38 balls put SRH back on track for a formidable total. Both Klaasen and Kishan, though, fell to exceptional catches from Phil Salt at the boundary, halting SRH’s momentum at crucial junctures.

𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒! 🛑

🎥 Phil Salt with an absolute one-handed screamer at the ropes 🫡

Do we already have the Catch of the Season on Day 1 of #TATAIPL 2026 🤔

Updates ▶️ https://t.co/Eo5z0jh4K4 #KhelBindaas | #RCBvSRH |… pic.twitter.com/pPax3pVNt9

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Despite those setbacks, SRH found late impetus through Aniket Verma, whose explosive 43 off 18 balls provided the finishing kick. His cameo ensured SRH crossed the 200-mark, eventually posting 201/9 in their 20 overs. Romario Shepherd matched Duffy’s impact with the ball, picking up three wickets, though he was slightly expensive, finishing with 3/54.

Chasing 202, RCB approached the task with intent. While Phil Salt fell early, Devdutt Padikkal continued from where he left off last season, taking control of the innings with a fearless approach. Padikkal dominated the powerplay and beyond, racing to 61 off just 26 balls in a knock laced with clean hitting. At the other end, Virat Kohli played the perfect foil, allowing Padikkal to dictate terms as the duo added a blistering 101 runs in just 45 balls.

MAXIMUM Entertainment 🍿@devdpd07 🤝 @imVkohli doing it in style 🔥#RCB 76/1 after 6 overs in the chase.

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By the time Padikkal departed in the ninth over, RCB had surged well ahead of the required rate, needing only 92 off 68 balls.

Kohli then found another able partner in skipper Rajat Patidar, who ensured there was no let-up in pressure. Patidar’s quickfire 31 off 12 balls, combined with Kohli’s controlled aggression, resulted in a rapid 53-run stand off only 22 deliveries, effectively sealing the contest.

Following Patidar’s dismissal, Kohli brought up a composed half-century and anchored the remainder of the chase with authority. He remained unbeaten on 69 off 38 balls as RCB comfortably chased down the target, finishing at 202/4 in just 15.4 overs.

The full scorecard and match details can be found here.