Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will begin its Indian Premier League (IPL) title defense against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening match of the 2026 season at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB enters the tournament as defending champion after winning its first title last season. Hyderabad, which missed the playoffs in 2025, is aiming to bounce back with a stronger campaign.
Match Details
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 1st Match
- Series: Indian Premier League 2026
- Date: Saturday, March 28, 2026
- Time: 7:30 PM LOCAL, 2:00 PM GMT, 7:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM ET
- Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
Pitch Report and Weather Forecast
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for high-scoring matches due to its short boundaries. First-innings totals in recent seasons have frequently crossed 180. Fast bowlers may get some movement early, but conditions generally favor batters. Spinners could play a role in the middle overs.
Weather conditions are expected to be clear, with temperatures around 25-27 degrees Celsius. No rain is forecast, though dew could play a role in the second innings.
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma(w), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Venkatesh Iyer, Mangesh Yadav, Vihaan Malhotra, Vicky Ostwal, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Swapnil Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Liam Livingstone, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Harsh Dubey, Eshan Malinga, Shivam Mavi, Smaran Ravichandran, Zeeshan Ansari, Salil Arora, Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, David Payne, Praful Hinge, Sakib Hussain, Krains Fuletra, Amit Kumar, Onkar Tarmale, Shivang Kumar
RCB vs SRH Probable Playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Probable Playing XI: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Jacob Duffy/Nuwan Thusara.
Impact Sub: Suyash Sharma
Sunrisers Hyderabad Probable Playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (C/WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Liam Livingstone, Eshan Malinga, Jaydev Unadkat, Harshal Patel, Zeeshan Ansari
Impact Player: Kamindu Mendis/ Krains Fuletra
Broadcast and Streaming
Matches will be televised on the Star Sports network. Live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
