Last Updated:
RCB chased down the target of 202 runs in 15.4 overs on Saturday to break the record for the fastest 200+ run chase in Indian Premier League history.
RCB kick off IPL title defence with 6-wicket win over SRH. (Picture Credit: AP)
Devdutt Padikkal’s 26-ball-61 crusted with class and Virat Kohli’s masterly unbeaten half-century (69) powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a dominant six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026’s season-opening match in Bengaluru on Saturday. Padikkal and Kohli stitched 101 runs off a mere 45 balls for the second wicket stand, lending meat to RCB’s successful chase of 202 in just 15.4 overs. The hosts finished at 203/4 to start their title defence in spectacular style.
After Phil Salt was jettisoned early, Kohli and Padikkal, in particular, treated the Chinnaswamy crowd to a brilliant batting exhibition. Their approach to batting was as different as chalk and cheese. Padikkal was all wrists, feet and thunderous cuts while Kohli dished out his favourite drives, shots on the ‘V’ and the money shot — the swat flick.
Skipper Rajat Patidar did his bit for a smooth chase, waltzing to a 12-ball 31. The consecutive dismissals of Patidar and Jitesh Sharma were just minor speed-breakers in an otherwise easy journey, laced by Kohli’s sequence of 6, 4, 4, 4 off Harshal.
Earlier, stand-in-captain Ishan Kishan smashed a blazing fifty as Sunrisers resisted Jacob Duffy’s excellent spell but only managed a slightly below-par 201 for nine. Kishan (80 from 38 balls) and his 97-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen (31) for the fourth wicket was the core of SRH innings.
But the match had a rather different start once Patidar asked Hyderabad to bat first on a pitch that was deprived of top-flight cricket for nearly 10 months.
The pitch would have been a rather unknown commodity and chasing was a better option in that context.
Duffy’s spell (4-0-22-3) vindicated that thought too. The Kiwi pacer used his height well to generate considerable bounce off the track and Abhishek Sharma (7) looked frustrated not being able to free his arm despite carving Duffy for a six over backward point. Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy too failed to control their pull shots off Duffy as SRH slipped to 29 for three in 4.2 overs.
But Kishan was never really bogged down by the situation or opposition, batting with oodles of bravado.
The left-hander brought up his fifty in 27 balls with a four off leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, and his blitz contained some sparkling hits. Abhinandan Singh bore the brunt of his wrath, as Kishan carted him for 6, 4, 6 and later spinner Krunal Pandya was hammered for two sixes in an over.
A mighty blow over third man off Abhinandan carried Kishan to 80, and century was there for his taking. But the pacer had the last laugh as Kishan fell to a stunning one-handed, diving catch by Phil Salt near deep backward point.
Kishan’s dismissal robbed SRH some steam in the death overs, despite Aniket Verma (43), who was dropped by Kohli on 26 off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, striking a handy knock down the order.
(With inputs from PTI)
March 29, 2026, 00:02 IST
Read More
