Virat Kohli once again proved why he is the heartbeat of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, guiding his team to a dominant six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first match of the IPL 2026 season on Saturday. The former India captain scored an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls 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 be back playing. The last T20 game I played was last year’s final, but the way I batted in the recent one-day series really helped me keep that momentum going. I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t normally play… these breaks help me mentally. I stay fresh, I stay excited. Every time I come back to play, it’s 120%.”
The chase was fueled by a brilliant 26-ball 61 from impact substitute Devdutt Padikkal. Kohli praised his young teammate’s performance: “Exceptional shot. From the word go, I had plans to be aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I thought, just keep putting him back on strike. He completely took the game away from the opponent. I even told him that that shot was done with the slower ball in the middle of the game… just keep going. He is hitting the ball incredibly well.”
Kohli also emphasized the importance of team contribution over individual records: “As a player, you don’t want to just cling to a place; you want to keep performing and working 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 signature shots like the straight six that hit the sight screen and one hit played with minimal movement, showing 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 his IPL debut, impressed with figures of 3/22, dismantling SRH’s top order. Phil Salt also took an impressive one-handed catch in the deep to dismiss Kishan.
Kohli, who now plays 50-over cricket for India after retiring from Tests and T20Is, remains a key figure for RCB. “The type of scheduling over the last 15 years meant there was always a risk of burning out rather than being underprepared. These breaks help me mentally… as long as you are physically fit and mentally excited, the two go together very well, then you can contribute to the team’s cause,” he added.
With this win, RCB began their IPL 2026 campaign in style, honoring the 11 fans who tragically lost their lives in last year’s title parade with black armbands, empty seats and a minute’s silence before the match.