IPL 2026: RCB Faces SRH in Season Opener at Chinnaswamy Stadium

The IPL 2026 season kicks off today with a thrilling match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB, fresh off their first title win, faces SRH, who struggled last season. Both teams rely heavily on their batting lineups, featuring stars like Virat Kohli and Ishan Kishan. However, they face challenges in their bowling departments with key players missing. The match promises to be a high-scoring affair, and fans can catch all the action live on Star Sports and Jiostar. Don't miss out on this exciting opener!

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 28, 2026, 08:11 IST

IPL 2026 Kicks Off with RCB vs SRH

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence today, March 28, featuring a match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Last season, RCB celebrated their first title victory, while SRH struggled, finishing in sixth place. Both teams have retained their core players, maintaining similar strengths and weaknesses. RCB boasts a formidable batting lineup with stars like Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, and Tim David, whereas SRH counters with match-winners such as Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. However, both sides face challenges in their bowling departments, with RCB missing Josh Hazlewood and SRH without Pat Cummins. The outcome of the match may hinge on which team can leverage their batting prowess more effectively.

RCB vs SRH: Recent Head-to-Head

Historically, RCB and SRH have had a competitive rivalry. In their last ten encounters, SRH holds a slight advantage over RCB.

RCB: 4 Wins
SRH: 6 Wins

Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Insights

The pitch at Chinnaswamy Stadium is known to favor batsmen, and this season is expected to follow suit, promising high-scoring games.

Total Matches: 102
Bat First Win: 41%
Bowl First Win: 53%

Average Scores
1st Innings: 169
2nd Innings: 150

Venue Records

Highest Total: 287/3 (SRH vs RCB)
Lowest Total: 48/3 (KKR vs SRH)
Highest Successful Chase: 213/9 (LSG vs RCB)
Lowest Defended: 106/2 (CSK vs RCB)

How to Watch RCB vs SRH

The IPL 2026 match between RCB and SRH will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network in India.

Live Streaming Information

Fans can catch the live streaming of the match on the Jiostar app and website.

Probable XI for RCB: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal/Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar (c), Jacob Bethell/Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Mangesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy

Impact Substitutes: Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Swapnil Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Jordan Cox

Probable XI for SRH: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (c and wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Salil Arora, Brydon Carse, Harsh Dubey/Shivam Mavi, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat

Impact Substitutes: Zeeshan Ansari, Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran, Sakib Hussain

Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ishan Kishan (stand-in captain and wk), Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran, Salil Arora (wk), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Travis Head, Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Abhishek Sharma, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Krains Fuletra, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Shivam Mavi

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jordan Cox (wk), Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Venkatesh Iyer, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar Salam, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy