Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli (Video grabs)

NEW DELHI: It was a night of dominance, emotion and a touch of romance as Virat Kohli lit up the IPL 2026 opener — both with the bat and a heartwarming gesture towards wife Anushka Sharma.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!After steering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a commanding six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kohli turned towards the stands and blew a flying kiss to Anushka. The Bollywood star, seated alongside RCB Women’s players including captain Smriti Mandhana, responded with her own flying kiss and a smile as the crowd erupted in cheers.The brief exchange quickly went viral, becoming one of the defining images of the season opener and adding a personal touch to an already electric evening at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.WATCH:

Kohli, Padikkal power RCB’s clinical chase

Kohli showcased his enduring class with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, laced with five fours and five sixes, as RCB chased down a daunting 202 in just 15.4 overs.Reflecting on his return to T20 cricket after a long break, Kohli said, “Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120 percent. I’m not coming back underprepared, in fact, the extra rest helps me mentally freshen up.”He added, “You don’t want to just hold on to a spot; you want to keep performing and keep putting in the work for the team.”Impact substitute Devdutt Padikkal set the tone with a blistering 61 off 26 balls, while Rajat Patidar chipped in with a quickfire 31, ensuring the chase was wrapped up with ease.Kishan shines but SRH fall shortPut into bat, SRH rode on a sparkling 80 from stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan and a late flourish from Aniket Verma (43 off 18) to post 201/9.Despite a strong total, their bowling attack struggled to contain RCB’s aggressive batting. “We’ll be a little more cautious with the bowling… we might be stronger from the next game,” Kishan admitted after the match.RCB’s win also came on an emotional night, with players wearing black armbands and observing a minute’s silence in memory of fans lost in last year’s tragic stampede.

Virat Kohli once again showed why he is the heartbeat of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, steering his side to a dominant six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 season opener on Saturday. The former India captain hit an unbeaten 38-ball 69 as RCB chased down 202 in just 15.4 overs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Reflecting on his performance, Kohli said, “It’s good to get back out there. The last T20 game I played was the final last year, but the way I batted in the recent one-day series really helped me stay in that momentum. I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t usually play… these breaks help me mentally. I stay fresh, I stay excited. Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120%.” The chase was powered by a brilliant 26-ball 61 from impact substitute Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli lauded his young partner’s performance: “Outstanding knock. Right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike. He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him, that shot he hit off the slower ball over mid-on for six… just keep going. He’s hitting the ball amazingly well.” Kohli also emphasised the importance of team contribution over individual records: “As a player, you don’t want to just hold on to a spot; you want to keep performing and keep putting in the work for the team.” RCB’s chase was anchored by Kohli and Padikkal’s 101-run stand for the second wicket, after the team lost opener Phil Salt early. Kohli’s innings included five fours and five sixes, with some trademark shots like the straight six that hit the sight screen, and a swat flick executed with minimal movement, demonstrating his mastery of timing and placement. Earlier, SRH had posted 201/9, with stand-in captain Ishan Kishan top-scoring with 80 off 38 balls, including eight fours and five sixes. Jacob Duffy, on IPL debut, impressed with figures of 3/22, dismantling SRH’s top order. Phil Salt also took a stunning one-handed catch in the deep to dismiss Kishan. Kohli, who now plays only 50-over cricket for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is, remains a key figure for RCB. “The kind of scheduling over the last 15 years meant there was always a risk of burnout. These breaks help me mentally… as long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, both things come together nicely, then you’re able to contribute to the team’s cause,” he added. With this victory, RCB began their IPL 2026 campaign in style, honouring the 11 fans who tragically lost their lives at last year’s title parade with black armbands, empty seats, and a minute’s silence before the game.

Virat Kohli celebrates his half century during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo)

Bengaluru: The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was bathed in red on Saturday night — not just in colour, but in the commanding form of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru as they opened their IPL campaign with a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.After pacer Jacob Duffy (3/22) set up the game with a dream debut, it was Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli who lit up the chase. Padikkal’s fluent 61 off 26 balls and Kohli’s unbeaten 69 off 38 ensured RCB made light work of the 200-run target, getting home with 26 balls to spare.Playing in his backyard, Padikkal looked in complete control. Fresh off an impressive domestic season that saw him play a key role in Karnataka’s run to the Ranji Trophy final, the left-hander carried that form into the nightWalking in after Phil Salt’s (8) early departure, Padikkal wasted little time settling in. A trademark flick for six off Jaydev Unadkat set the tone. Particularly impressive was his intent against left-arm pacer David Payne, including a one-knee six.Often criticised for getting stuck on the crease, Padikkal showed improved footwork and raced to his half-century with a crisp straight drive, as Kohli cheered from the other end. Padikkal, going for a big one against Harsh Dubey, failed to get past the mid-off region with Klaasen taking a regulation catch. Kohli, who was on 30 when the partnership ended, shifted gears. He anchored the innings through a brief wobble that saw skipper Rajat Patidar (31) and Jitesh Sharma (0) fall off successive deliveries to Payne. With the finish line in sight, Kohli and Tim David (16 n.o) wrapped it up without fuss.

Duffy, Ishan show

The early narrative belonged to debutants – one making his IPL bow, the other leading a side for the first time in the competition.RCB pacer Jacob Duffy marked his debut in style, ripping through SRH’s top order. But Ishan, captaining SRH for the first time, stood firm against the early burst, producing a counter-attacking 38-ball 80 to pull his side out of trouble.SRH recovered from early jolts and owed their total to Ishan’s composure and Aniket Verma’s (43 off 18balls) late flourish.Duffy made an immediate impact. Spearheading the bowling attack in the absence of Australian quick Josh Hazlewood, the New Zealand pacer struck in his second over to break the back of SRH’s explosive top order. Abhishek Sharma miscued a pull to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma. Five balls later, Travis Head fell to a short ball, pulling straight to Phil Salt at deep backward square leg. Nitish Reddy followed soon after, top-edging another short delivery to Abhinandan Kumar at midwicket.While wickets fell around him, Ishan held his nerve. The left-hander found his rhythm against medium pacer Abhinandan Kumar in the sixth over, smashing 6, 4, 6 to signal a shift in momentum.Fresh from a strong T20 World Cup campaign, Ishan carried that form seamlessly. Ishan found an able ally in Heinrich Klaasen (31), and the duo stitched together a crucial 97-run stand for the fourth wicket.Just as Ishan looked set for a century, his 74-minute stay ended in dramatic fashion, with Salt pulling off a stunning one-handed catch at the boundary off to become Abhinandan’s maiden IPL wicket.

Cameron Green (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Mumbai: Over the years, the IPL has seen various top buys burdened by the pressure of their high price tags. In 2014, it was Yuvraj Singh, bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for Rs 14 crore, while in 2025, it was Rishabh Pant, purchased by Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 27 crore, who both seemed weighed down by their massive auction prices. There have been many others as well. In that context, there is genuine concern that the latest in the list could be Australian allrounder Cameron Green, who was picked up by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping Rs 25.20 crore in the IPL mini-auction in November last year. However, ahead of his team’s opening match of IPL-2026 against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night, KKR assistant coach and former Australian allrounder Shane Watson asserted that Green will not be weighed down by his high price tag, pointing out that the Australian allrounder prefers to play with absolute freedom. “I’ve seen players in the past who’ve had a high price tag on them. I’ve seen them crumble in the past; that wave of expectations really suffocated their ability to perform at their best,” Watson told reporters on Saturday, ahead of KKR’s training at the Wankhede Stadium. Watson reminded that Green had been bought by Mumbai Indians and later traded to RCB for a big price and performed fairly well in the past. “Cameron certainly doesn’t see it that way. We’ve seen with him when he got picked up to play here at MI a couple of years ago for a pretty decent amount of money (Green first played the IPL in 2023, when MI bought him for INR 17.5 crore), he had a very good season (he scored 452 runs at a strike rate of 160.28 and picked up six wickets). That is his mindset when it comes to the IPL—that he’s got nothing to lose,” Watson said. “Obviously, that’s what people are willing to pay for him, but he’s there to be as free as he can, be at his very best, and we’ve seen how that has been very beneficial for his performances in the IPL over the last couple of seasons. If you’ve seen the way he’s trained over the last couple of weeks, I don’t think in any way that his performance will be suffocated by that price tag, because he’s very free and excited about being able to be free in the middle as well,” he explained. Watson said joining KKR had been “very exciting” for him, especially because of the opportunity to work closely with Green. “There are a number of exciting things about me coming to KKR. One of the biggest is working with Cameron Green. I’ve had several conversations with him over the years, but being able to help him on his journey and support his growth is something I’m really excited about,” Watson said. Hampered by injuries to pacers Harshit Rana and Akash Deep, who have both been ruled out of IPL-2026, Watson admitted KKR are “doing everything” they can to get Matheesha Pathirana to their camp. “It’s a waiting game at the moment, and we’re being guided by the Sri Lankan cricket board. We are just doing everything we can to get him over here as soon as possible. With the calibre of support staff and medical staff that we’ve got here at KKR, we’ve got the exact same interests as Sri Lankan cricket as well. We want Pathirana to be here. We want him to be fit. We certainly would never, ever push him any earlier than he needs to. “We just hope that sooner rather than later he’s able to come over here and we can really start the integration process,” Watson said. Watson showered praise on Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani, who was drafted into the side a few days before the tournament, and said that KKR were hoping he would capitalise on the opportunity and deliver the goods. “Life’s all about opportunities, and to be able to see someone like Blessing Muzarabani get the opportunity that he’s been working so hard towards with his exploits on the field is fantastic. For a tall guy, he’s a great athlete. He’s got great skills, and for there to be an opportunity for him to put it on the world stage and test himself against the best batters in the world, I’m so excited for him,” Watson said. Watson revealed that KKR’s young top-order batter, Mumbai’s Angkrish Raghuvanshi, has been slogging it out to be ready to don the keeping gloves. “Raghuvanshi has been working tirelessly on his wicketkeeping for the last five or six months.”

RCB’s Phil Salt celebrates after taking the catch of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s captain Ishan Kishan (PTI Photo)

Phil Salt produced a moment of brilliance in the field to dismiss Ishan Kishan, bringing an end to a commanding knock in the IPL 2026 opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.Kishan was batting fluently on 80 off just 38 balls and looked set for a century when he attempted to guide a full toss outside off towards the boundary. The ball seemed destined for the ropes, but Salt had other ideas. Running hard to his right from point, he stretched out fully and completed a one-handed catch at full reach, pulling off a stunning dismissal that could be among the catches of the season.It was not the only moment Salt made an impact in the field. Earlier, he was involved in another crucial catch near the boundary. Positioned at midwicket, he settled under a high ball but went down while completing the take, raising doubts over whether he had touched the cushions. The decision was sent upstairs, and after a close review, the third umpire ruled it clean, confirming the dismissal despite visible uncertainty. Heinrich Klaasen, who was dismissed, appeared unhappy with the verdict as he walked off.Kishan’s innings had been the backbone of Hyderabad’s total. Leading the side, he smashed 80 off 38 balls with eight fours and five sixes, adding 97 runs with Klaasen for the fourth wicket after early setbacks. His aggressive approach kept SRH in the contest despite a strong spell from Jacob Duffy.However, Salt’s stunning effort shifted the momentum back towards Bengaluru at a key moment. With Kishan gone, SRH lost some momentum in the death overs and eventually finished on 201 for nine, a total that looked slightly below par given the platform they had built.In a match that marked the return of IPL action to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Salt’s fielding stood out as one of the defining moments of the innings.