Jacob Duffy Shines in RCB's IPL 2026 Victory Over Sunrisers Hyderabad

In an exhilarating IPL 2026 opener, Jacob Duffy made a stunning debut for RCB, taking three wickets and leading his team to a six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad. Duffy credited his success to learning from Josh Hazlewood and emphasized the importance of bowling consistently on a hard length. Ishan Kishan's brilliant 80 runs helped Hyderabad post a competitive total, but RCB's chase, led by Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, saw them achieve the fastest 200-plus run chase in IPL history. Discover more about this thrilling match and Duffy's standout performance.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 29, 2026, 01:55 IST

Duffy's Impressive Debut Performance

In Bengaluru, Karnataka, Jacob Duffy made a remarkable debut for RCB, claiming three wickets that led his team to a six-wicket victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener. Duffy attributed his success to insights gained from Josh Hazlewood and emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent hard length while bowling.

After being named Player of the Match, Duffy praised the bounce of the Bengaluru pitch and expressed gratitude to his captain, Rajat Patidar, for the opportunity to showcase his skills. He stressed the need to stick to effective strategies to keep the pressure on the opposing team.

"What a fantastic way to kick off the season! It was a great win. I’m just filling in for the big guy, Hazlewood. My focus was on bowling hard lengths and keeping the ball in the right areas. It was even better to leave the field after seven overs. We discussed the lengths that work well here," Duffy remarked following his award.

"I’m building on what Josh has done. I’m definitely tired of bowling to Abhishek. The bounce we saw today was unlike anything I’ve experienced in India before. Rajat just told me to go for it, and I was happy to oblige. The best time to bowl on this surface is when the ball is hard and new," he added.

Match Highlights

In the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad bounced back from an early collapse to set a challenging target of 201/9 against the reigning champions. After losing three quick wickets during the power play, Ishan Kishan's stellar performance and significant contributions from the lower order helped Hyderabad surpass the 200-run mark.

Ishan Kishan, stepping in as captain, scored an impressive 80 runs off just 38 balls, featuring eight fours and five sixes. Ankiet Verma also made a notable impact with a rapid 43 runs off 18 deliveries, including three fours and four sixes.

For RCB, Jacob Duffy (3/22) and Romario Shepherd (3/54) each took three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/31), Abhinandan Singh (1/38), and Suyash Sharma (1/28) contributed with one wicket each.

In response, Virat Kohli played a crucial role, remaining unbeaten with 69 runs off 38 balls, which included five fours and as many sixes. Additionally, Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal scored 61 runs off 26 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes. Skipper Rajat Patidar also made a quickfire 31 runs off 12 balls, leading Bengaluru to a thrilling victory by four wickets.

RCB achieved the fastest chase of 200-plus runs in IPL history, reaching the target of 202 runs in just 15.4 overs.