IPL 2026 Kicks Off Saturday: Defending RCB Host SRH at Chinnaswamy
The Indian Premier League 2026 season launches on Saturday, March 28, as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Toss is at 7:00 PM IST, with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt expected to open for RCB.
SRH’s Pat Cummins is sidelined with injury, handing the captaincy to Ishan Kishan — his debut in that role against the defending champions. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma lead SRH’s batting. Both sides are missing key fast bowlers, making a 190+ first-innings score likely on Chinnaswamy’s short-boundary surface.
“This is the biggest stage in cricket after the World Cup — the crowd will be electric,” ESPNcricinfo’s preview noted. Google’s predictor gives RCB a 54% win probability. For the first time in 19 IPL seasons, all 10 franchises will be captained by an Indian player. The dew factor in the second innings heavily favours the chasing team.