RCB vs SRH: IPL 2026 Opener Sees RCB Opt to Bowl First

IPL 2026 Kickoff: RCB vs SRH

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 28: In the opening match of the IPL 2026 season, the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), won the toss and chose to field against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

Ishan Kishan, at 27 years and 253 days, stepped in as the captain for Sunrisers, making him the second-youngest skipper in the franchise's history, following Kane Williamson, who was 27 years and 244 days old in 2018.

After the toss, RCB's captain Rajat Patidar expressed their ambition to secure a second star on their jersey. He stated, “We’ll bowl first. There are many positives from last year, but this season, we’re not just defending; we aim to be champions again in 2026. Our squad is strong with solid backups for every role, and our support and medical teams are excellent. Everyone is fit and eager for this match. Thank you for your continued support. We’ll strive to earn that second star. We have two newcomers, Jacob Duffy and Abhinandan Singh, making their debuts today,” Patidar remarked.

On the other hand, Ishan Kishan, the stand-in captain for Hyderabad, acknowledged the challenge ahead after losing the toss. He mentioned, “The wicket looks fresh, and it doesn’t matter whether you bat or bowl first. We need to stick to our plans. Everyone seems to be in good form,” Kishan commented.

Here are the playing elevens for both teams:

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma.