Virat Kohli struck 69* as defending champions the Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Sunrisers Hyderabad after a tribute to victims of last year’s stampede.
The fans were honoured with 11 empty seats and a minute’s silence ahead of the game, while the players wore black armbands at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB won their first IPL title in 18 attempts in the 2025 edition, but a victory parade turned tragic outside their stadium.
On Saturday, a big crowd welcomed the home team with the loudest roar reserved for Kohli, who steered the team’s successful chase of 202 in just 15.4 overs.
Kohli hit five fours and five sixes in his 38-ball knock.
The Sunrisers posted 201-9 after being put in to bat first as stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan top-scored with 80 from 38 balls, with eight fours and five sixes.
New Zealand’s RCB import Jacob Duffy made an instant impact on his IPL debut to return figures of 3-22 from his four overs.
Duffy rattled the top-order, taking the key wickets of openers Abhishek Sharma (seven) and Travis Head (11).
Kishan steadied the innings in a fourth-wicket partnership of 97 with South Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen, who made 31.
England’s Phil Salt took a stunning one-handed catch in the deep after covering lot of ground to dismiss Kishan off Abhinandan Singh.
𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒! 🛑
🎥 Phil Salt with an absolute one-handed screamer at the ropes 🫡
Do we already have the Catch of the Season on Day 1 of #TATAIPL 2026 🤔
Updates ▶️ #KhelBindaas | #RCBvSRH |… pic.twitter.com/pPax3pVNt9
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 28, 2026
RCB lost opener Salt, for eight, early in the chase but impact substitute Devdutt Padikkal hit a string of boundaries in his 26-ball 61.
Padikkal put on 101 runs with Kohli, who hit some excellent shots including a straight six that hit the sight screen.
Kohli, who plays just the 50-over format for India after retiring from Test and T20Is, is still a key player for RCB.
He finished the game with a six and three fours in successive balls to launch RCB’s title defence in style.
Elegance 🤝 Authority
🎥 Virat Kohli treating Bengaluru with his masterclass 👌
Which was your favourite out of the two? ✍️
Updates ▶️ #TATAIPL | #KhelBindaas | #RCBvSRH | @RCBTweets | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/7PDI6SldbD
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 28, 2026
– AFP
Photo: BCCI