The opening match of the 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bangalore. Statistically, Sunrisers Hyderabad holds the upper hand against RCB. In the history of the IPL, a total of 25 matches have been played between these two teams so far. Of these, Sunrisers Hyderabad has won 13 matches, while RCB has emerged victorious in 11 encounters. Meanwhile, one match ended without a result.
RCB’s Batting Lineup Appears Well-Balanced
Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, RCB delivered a stellar performance last season. Ending an 18-year drought, RCB claimed the title for the very first time. On paper, the RCB squad looks quite formidable this season as well. In the batting department, Virat Kohli and Phil Salt were successful in providing the team with explosive starts last season. The Kohli-Salt opening pair could once again prove to be a major headache for opposing teams in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, the domestic season has been exceptional for Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal is likely to be seen batting at number three this time around. Tim David and Jitesh Sharma also made a significant impression in IPL 2025 with their aggressive batting displays. Furthermore, the team will be expecting explosive performances from Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya this season as well. With the addition of Venkatesh Iyer, the team’s batting lineup now appears even more balanced.
What is a Cause for Concern for Bangalore?
The bad news for RCB is that the team’s fast bowler, Josh Hazlewood, will not be available for the initial matches.
In Hazlewood’s absence, a significant responsibility will rest upon the shoulders of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The team will also be without the services of Yash Dayal this season.
The performance of New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy will also be of crucial importance to the RCB squad.
Responsibility Rests on the Top Order
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad will once again rely heavily on their top order. Hyderabad will be looking to the trio of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan to deliver a powerful performance. In the absence of Pat Cummins, Ishan will also be seen leading the team during the initial matches. Heinrich Klaasen was the team’s highest run-scorer last season. As a finisher, Aniket Verma had made a significant impression with his excellent batting during IPL 2025. Nitish Kumar Reddy will look to leave his mark this season on the strength of a stellar performance, while the Hyderabad team will also harbor high expectations from Liam Livingstone.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling attack appears to be quite weak. In Cummins’ absence, Ishan Malinga, Harshal Patel, and Jaydev Unadkat will spearhead the pace attack. Furthermore, Sunrisers Hyderabad lacks any big names among its spin options. Young spinner Zeeshan Ansari will be aiming to deliver a standout performance in IPL 2026.
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