The day is finally here. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will get underway on Saturday with the tournament opener between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The 19th edition of the T20 tournament will mark Virat Kohli’s return to competitive cricket after the three-match ODI series against New Zealand in January this year. Kohli was smashing it around the park in the last two series against South Africa and the Kiwis and would look to continue with his form in the upcoming tournament.
The IPL 2026 opener will see both Pat Cummins (SRH) and Josh Hazlewood (RCB) sit on the sidelines as the duo are yet to recover from their injuries. However, the two have already arrived in India and are set to play a role in the competition at some point.
SRH would be led by Ishan Kishan in Cummins’ absence. The IPL 2026 opener will also see the return of competitive cricket to the M Chinnaswamy after the stampede last year during the RCB’s victory celebrations, where 11 people lost their lives.
The contest between RCB and SRH promises to be a runfest in Bengaluru as it will be an affair between two batting powerhouses. However, the final outcome would likely be decided by the bowling group and who holds the nerve better.
Squads:
RCB: Virat Kohli, Philip 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 Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
SRH: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(wicketkeeper/captain), 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.
Here are the streaming and telecast details for the IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH:
When will the IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH be played?
The IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH will be played on Saturday, March 28. The match will start at 7:30 PM IST with the toss scheduled for 7 PM IST.
Where will the IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH be played?
The IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Which channels will telecast the IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH?
The IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network.
Where will live streaming be available for the IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH?
The IPL 2026 opener between RCB and SRH will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.
