RCB start IPL 2026 campaign with a clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad
The Indian Premier League is finally back and it is all set to start with a blockbuster clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Southern rivalry is set to lay down the marker as two teams, brimming with intense and insane talent, will be hopeful of bringing the madness to the mix.
RCB will be hitting the field with the intent of making it two in two. With new additions to the side, featuring Jacob Duffy, Venkatesh Iyer and Jordan Cox, one major element that will be the talk of the town is how they shape up their playing XI.
With Josh Hazlewood not part of the opening game, many intense thoughts will focus on how RCB changes that set-up. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar's presence will be a major factor in setting up that bowling unit as well.
Sunrisers Hyderabad has a power-packed batting unit featuring Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Any one of these batters can run away with the game on their given day. However, like RCB, SRH will also be pondering how to get their bowling into shape. With Jaydev Unadkat and Harshal Patel in the mix, one might expect some serious Indian contingent to lead the charge for them.
Given the batting firepower both sides have aboard, it goes without saying that this might just be a high-scoring curtain-raiser between two incredible teams. Whenever these two teams have met in the past, there has been no dearth of runs and one can expect something similar to unfold when these two powerhouses collide.
Venue Watch
The surface in Chinnaswamy showed a new side altogether last year. Usually labelled as the graveyard for bowlers, Chinnaswamy’s sticky track left batters second-guessing their shots. However, as history suggests, Bengaluru has always been conducive to batters, and things might just be the same when the curtain-raiser unfolds.
Personal battles to watch out for:
Virat Kohli vs Jaydev Unadkat:
Of course, as the leading run-scorer for RCB last season with 657 runs, Virat will undoubtedly be the crux of the side for the 19th iteration of the tournament. He will be looking forward to a steady start and will be a major force against the new ball shenanigans that Unadkat can bring to the mix. At the other end, the lanky Unadkat has had a fine domestic season this year with 12 wickets from seven Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games. He can make good with the ball snaking around early and that is where a fine challenge will take shape.
Rajat Patidar vs Harshal Patel
Being the captain of the side, Rajat Patidar’s onus is always significant. He plays a crucial role in the RCB middle-order and very effectively nullifies any spin threat. This is where Harshal Patel comes into play. Patel's slower variations can make a significant difference, pitting him against a very experienced campaigner. With eight wickets in SMAT, Harshal will be hoping to go all guns blazing against the RCB captain.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Travis Head
In the absence of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will have to take a crucial step. He will have to lead the bowling charge for RCB. With the new ball in his hand, Kumar can be an absolute menace. Considering his knowledge of Chinnaswamy, he will be the one to watch out for. Travis Head’s aggressive charge up front makes a lot of difference. His ability to completely reshape the course of the game with that solid start up front is where RCB will have to be wary. Bhuvi’s guile with the new ball against Head’s aggressive intent is where a lot can happen.
Match detail:
Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Date: 28th March, 2025
Time: 7:30 PM
Head-to-head:
Matches played: 25
RCB: 11
SRH: 13
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru:
Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Swapnil Singh, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Ishan Kishan, Aniket Verma, Smaran Ravichandran, Salil Arora, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse, Shivang Kumar, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Patt Cummins (captain), Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Shivam Mavi
