The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence on March 28. The opening match will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bengaluru between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). This blockbuster clash is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.
On paper, the RCB squad looks formidable once again this season. In the batting department, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt were successful in providing the team with explosive starts during the previous season. The Kohli-Salt opening pair could once again prove to be a major headache for opposing teams in the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal has enjoyed a magnificent domestic season. This time around, Padikkal is expected to be seen batting at the number three position. Tim David and Jitesh Sharma also made a significant impression with their explosive batting during IPL 2025. Furthermore, the team will be looking to Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya to deliver impactful performances this season as well. With the inclusion of Venkatesh Iyer, the team’s batting lineup now appears even more balanced.
The bad news for RCB is that their fast bowler, Josh Hazlewood, will not be available for the initial matches. In Hazlewood’s absence, a significant responsibility will rest on the shoulders of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Additionally, Yash Dayal is not part of the squad this season. The performance of New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy will also be crucial for the RCB team.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad will once again rely heavily on their top order. Hyderabad will pin its hopes on powerful performances from the trio of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan. In the absence of Pat Cummins, Ishan will be seen captaining the team during the initial matches.
In the previous season, Heinrich Klaasen was the team’s highest run-scorer. As a finisher, Aniket Verma left a lasting impression with his magnificent batting during IPL 2025. Nitish Kumar Reddy will look to make a name for himself this season on the strength of his excellent performances, while Hyderabad will also harbor high hopes for Liam Livingstone.
RCB vs SRH: Head-to-Head Record
In the history of the IPL, a total of 26 matches have been played between these two teams so far. Of these, Sunrisers Hyderabad have won 13 matches, while RCB have secured victory in 11 matches. Meanwhile, two matches ended without a result. Hyderabad’s highest score in the tournament stands at 287/3, which they posted in 2024. This also marks the highest score in the history of the IPL. RCB’s highest total, on the other hand, is 262/7.
RCB vs SRH: Squads for Both Teams
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (Captain), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), 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 Chauhan, Satvik Deswal.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper), Liam Livingstone, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Harsh Dubey, Ishan Malinga, Shivam Mavi, Smaran Ravichandran, Zeeshan Ansari, Salil Arora, Kamindu Mendis, Brydon Carse, David Payne, Prafull Hinge, Saqib Hussain, Krans Fuletra, Amit Kumar.
