LIVEIPL 2026 opener RCB vs SRH LIVE: Padikkal on fire, RCB race to 76/1 in powerplay, SRH on the back foot-catch all updates

Padikkal departs after blazing fifty

Devdutt Padikkal’s superb innings comes to an end after a rapid 21-ball half-century. He signs off in style with a boundary and a six before falling, finishing with a brilliant 61 off 26 balls, a knock that has firmly set the tone for the chase.

RCB move to 111/2 after 9 overs, needing 90 more from 11, with the game well in their grasp.

Padikkal races to blazing fifty

Devdutt Padikkal brings up a stunning half-century, continuing his dominant run. SRH’s troubles deepen as Kohli gets a life — Klaasen reacts late at long-on and fails to hold on. Padikkal then caps it off in style with a flawless straight drive for four, reaching his fifty in just 21 balls with pure timing and elegance.

Kohli cuts loose as RCB surge

Virat Kohli shifts gears with a six and a four, taking on Jaydev Unadkat with authority. He first whips one over square leg for a maximum, then follows it up by slicing a boundary through the off-side.

Padikkal on fire in powerplay

Devdutt Padikkal is in sublime touch, powering RCB to 51/1 after four overs with a stunning 18-run over. He’s striking it beautifully — two sixes and a four, all timed to perfection. The fifty comes up in no time, with Padikkal racing to 34 off just 11 balls, showcasing pure class and control.

Padikkal shines as RCB start strong

RCB race to 33/1 after three overs, with Devdutt Padikkal looking in fine touch. He times a superb drive on the up, sending it over extra cover for a boundary. It’s been an excellent start for RCB, while SRH will need to find a way to halt the early momentum.

Unadkat strikes as Salt departs early

Jaydev Unadkat draws first blood, getting Phil Salt to slice a drive off a delivery angled across him. What looked like a routine catch nearly turned messy as two fielders almost collided, but Heinrich Klaasen held on safely. Salt has to walk back early.

SRH post 201/9, set up a competitive finish

SRH managed to cross the 200-mark, finishing on 201/9 after a steady final over that yielded nine runs. It’s a psychological boost heading into the defence, giving them something solid to work with. RCB, however, will feel confident; the target looks well within reach for their strong batting line-up. Still, SRH have runs on the board, and that keeps the contest alive.

Aniket falls after a fiery 43, but job done

Aniket Verma’s impactful knock comes to an end at 43 off 18 balls. Attempting to take on a slower delivery, he mistimes it and chips a simple catch to Virat Kohli at long-off, bringing the curtain down on an impressive innings.

Aniket finds rhythm with power

Aniket Verma is settling in nicely. He began with a crisp boundary through the off-side against Suyash, but has now shifted gears with brute force, anticipating the short ball from Abhinandan and smashing it high over midwicket. As SRH’s designated finisher, he’ll be key to pushing for a strong total.

Klaasen falls in controversial call, SRH lose another

Heinrich Klaasen’s stay ends amid drama as Phil Salt completes a tumbling catch near the boundary. There were doubts over whether it was clean, with replays suggesting the cushion may have moved, but the third umpire ruled it out after a lengthy review. Klaasen looked visibly unhappy but had to walk back. Soon after, SRH suffered another setback. On debut, Salil Arora mistimed a long hop straight to midwicket, a shot that could have gone anywhere but found a fielder instead. Suyash Sharma gets the wicket, though it came off a loose delivery.

Kishan shifts gears with big over- 21 runs from one over

A massive 21-run over swings momentum as Ishan Kishan cuts loose. Taking on Krunal Pandya, he first dispatches a leg-stump delivery for a clean six, then smashes a wide ball straight down the ground for another maximum. SRH suddenly surged to 126/3 after 13 overs, with a 200-plus total back in sight.

SRH steady after early blows

SRH have steadied a bit at 79/3 at the first timeout after nine overs. This partnership is beginning to rebuild the innings, keeping hopes alive. However, with spin set to come into play, Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma will need to be smart and precise to prevent any counterattack.

SRH crumble early, RCB in control

It’s all going wrong for SRH as they struggle to build any momentum. Jacob Duffy extracts extra bounce yet again, forcing Nitish Kumar Reddy into a mistimed pickup that balloons straight up — a simple catch completed with ease. At 29/3, the defending champions RCB are firmly on top.

RCB waste review, Abhishek responds with six

RCB burned an early review with no spike detected, despite Jitesh Sharma’s confident appeal. But Abhishek Sharma made them pay immediately, latching onto a wide, overpitched delivery and slicing it over point for a towering six.

RCB playing XI update

RCB vs SRH LIVE Score, IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru have largely stuck to expectations, with Abhinandan Singh included. Tim David gets the nod over Jacob Bethell, while Padikkal and Iyer are listed among impact options.Playing XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash SharmaImpact players: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer

SRH playing XI update

RCB vs SRH LIVE Score, IPL 2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad have gone in with just three overseas players, leaving out Liam Livingstone and Smaran in a surprising call.Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c & wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan MalingaImpact players: Shivang Kumar, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, R Smaran, Sakib Hussain

RCB opt to bowl after Patidar wins toss

Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad. SRH will bat first as they aim to put up a strong total, with team updates coming up next.

Predicted XI

RCB Predicted XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy SRH Predicted XI: H Klaasen, Ishan Kishan (C), A Verma, TM Head, Abhishek Sharma, K Nitish Kumar Reddy, LS Livingstone, HV Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, BA Carse, Shivam Mavi

When and where to watch the IPL opener match?

The match will begin at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 7:00 PM. Fans can watch the game live on JioHotstar, which offers features like 4K streaming and multiple camera angles. Matches will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network in India, including in English, Hindi, and select regional languages

RCB retain core, make smart additions in IPL 2026 auction

Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept things largely unchanged in the IPL 2026 auction, sticking with the core group that helped them secure the title. Rather than making big changes, the focus was on strengthening specific areas with targeted additions. Venkatesh Iyer was brought in to boost Indian batting depth, offering flexibility across the top order. The team also added Jacob Duffy to reinforce their pace attack, especially with Josh Hazlewood set to miss a significant part of the season due to injury. Alongside these experienced picks, RCB invested in future talent by signing U-19 prospects Vihaan Malhotra and Kanishk Chouhan, adding promising young depth to their squad.

SRH focus on young talent in IPL 2026 auction

Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the IPL 2026 auction with clear gaps to address after a relatively underwhelming season, where their sixth-place finish didn’t fully reflect their struggles, especially in bowling. While their auction strategy didn’t deliver breakthroughs in strengthening the bowling attack, the franchise appeared focused on investing in promising Indian youngsters to build depth around their established stars. Their biggest signing was Liam Livingstone, who adds firepower to the batting lineup and strengthens the middle order. Alongside him, acquisitions like Shivam Mavi and Salil Arora may not have grabbed headlines but could turn out to be valuable additions for the team’s balance and future prospects.