The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) kicked off their IPL 2026 journey in spectacular fashion, as pacer Jacob Duffy wreaked havoc on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batting lineup during the season opener at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
Winning the toss, RCB captain Rajat Patidar opted to bowl first, a choice that proved immediately rewarding as Duffy dismantled the top order. The right-arm pacer was in outstanding form, claiming three wickets within his four-over spell.
In a critical over, he removed Abhishek Sharma (7 runs off 8 balls) and Travis Head (11 runs off 9 balls), significantly hampering SRH’s aggressive start. SRH found themselves in a precarious position at 29 for 3 after just four overs, struggling to regroup from the early setbacks. Duffy’s third wicket came when Nitish Kumar Reddy (1 run off 6 balls) was caught by debutant Abhinandan Singh, concluding a remarkable opening spell.
This match also featured debuts for both Abhinandan Singh (RCB) and Salil Arora (SRH), introducing fresh talent to the game.
Before the high-energy match commenced, players and fans observed a minute of silence to honor the memory of 11 RCB supporters who tragically lost their lives on June 4 last year. In a show of respect, players from both teams wore black armbands.
Among the star-studded audience at Chinnaswamy were Anushka Sharma and Indian women’s cricket stars Smriti Mandhana, Shreyanka Patil, and Jemimah Rodrigues.
At the toss, Patidar expressed his hopes for the season, stating that RCB aims to “add the second star” to their jersey.
**IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Confirmed Playing XI**
**SRH:** Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk/C), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
**RCB:** Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma