Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began their Indian Premier League campaign with a commanding six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, March 28.
Chasing a target of 202, RCB reached 205 for 4 with ease, thanks to a match-defining partnership between Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Hyderabad had earlier posted 201 for 9 after opting to bat first.
RCB’s chase suffered an early setback when Phil Salt was dismissed for 8. However, Kohli and Padikkal steadied the innings with a fluent 101-run stand, taking control of the contest.
Padikkal struck a brisk 61 off 26 balls, hitting 7 fours and 4 sixes before falling to Harsh Dubey. Kohli anchored the innings superbly, remaining unbeaten on 69 off 38 deliveries, decorated with 5 fours and 5 sixes. Tim David added an unbeaten 16 to seal the victory.
Captain Rajat Patidar contributed a quick 32 off 12 balls, keeping the momentum in RCB’s favor before his dismissal. The defending champions crossed the target with overs to spare, finishing on 205 for 4.
Jacob Duffy was the standout bowler for RCB, claiming 3 for 22 and earning the Player of the Match award. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, David Payne picked up two wickets, while Jaydev Unadkat and Harsh Dubey took one apiece.
Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a competitive total, led by captain Ishan Kishan’s explosive 80 off 38 balls, featuring 8 fours and 5 sixes. Aniket Verma added 43 off 18 deliveries, while Heinrich Klaasen contributed 31 off 22 balls.
Despite strong contributions at the top, Hyderabad lost momentum due to regular wickets and were restricted to 201 for 9.
RCB’s victory marks a strong start to their title defense, while Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to regroup ahead of their next fixture.
IN/MHK