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.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli, right, and Abhinandan Singh (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Abhinandan Singh has emerged as a new name in the Indian Premier League after being handed his debut by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2026 season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.The right-arm pacer from Uttar Pradesh has taken a quick rise in the game. Four years ago, he was playing tennis-ball cricket. He is now part of RCB’s playing XI in one of the biggest matches of the season. The medium fast bowler proved to be impressive in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League where he claimed 15 wickets in 11 games while representing the Lucknow Falcons.