Bengaluru, March 28: The Indian Premier League’s 19th season (IPL 2026) kicked off with a thrilling match where Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets. RCB captain Rajat Patidar expressed his delight after the victory.
After the match, Patidar stated, “The boys played exceptionally well and contributed significantly to our win. Duffy was playing his first match, and his bowling proved to be the turning point for us. We assessed the pitch, which was good for batting. Virat Kohli and Padikkal laid a strong foundation for our victory. I have no words for that.”
Patidar continued, “Whenever Virat steps onto the field while chasing a target, he is the number one batsman. He remained at the crease until the end. Phil Salt took a stunning catch.”
On the other hand, SRH captain Ishan Kishan appeared quite disappointed following the heavy defeat in the season opener.
Kishan remarked, “I believe the wicket became good for batting after the first 3-4 overs. We lost a few wickets early on. Next time, we need to be mindful of that, as batting became easier in the second innings with the ball coming nicely onto the bat. We must show more intelligence in shot selection next time.”
He added, “RCB’s batsmen deserve credit for their victory. The way Virat bhai chased the target was remarkable. Taking his wicket early is crucial; otherwise, if he continues to play, it becomes tough to stop him. We need to work a bit harder.”
Kishan acknowledged, “This is the first match, and for now, these mistakes are acceptable. We will be more cautious about our bowling. We need to implement our strategy effectively. We will emerge stronger after this match. I enjoyed every moment of the game. Regarding my captaincy, I can only say that if we win the upcoming matches, progressing in the tournament will become much easier for us.”
After losing the toss, SRH batted first, scoring 201 runs for 9 wickets, thanks to Ishan Kishan’s 80 and Aniket Verma’s 43. RCB chased down the target, scoring 203 runs for 4 wickets in just 15.4 overs, with Virat Kohli remaining unbeaten at 69 and Devdutt Padikkal contributing 61 runs.
RCB’s fast bowler Jacob Duffy, who took 3 wickets for 22 runs in 4 overs, was named Player of the Match.
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