Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening game of the IPL 2026 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. It will also mark the return of professional cricket in the stadium, which was banned from hosting any game following the June 4 tragedy, where 11 lives were lost during RCB’s victory parade and trophy celebration.
The franchise has attempted to pay tributes to the departed souls by offering monetary support and also announced that they have reserved 11 seats in the stadium in their honour.
The focus has now completely shifted to the game, which is expected to be a cracking affair. However, ahead of that, RCB have suffered a major blow as pacer Nuwan Thushara has been denied NOC by Sri Lanka Cricket, as he failed the fitness test. Josh Hazlewood isn’t available for the opening game, while Yash Dayal has opted out of the tournament, citing personal reasons.
In their absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy will have to shoulder the responsibility with the new ball. Mangesh Yadav, who impressed the RCB management heavily, is expected to feature in the playing XII as well. The batting unit is already sorted, with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt set to open, while Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar will feature at number three and four, respectively. Venkatesh Iyer, however, might have to wait for his opportunity.
When it comes to Hyderabad, their captain Pat Cummins is ruled out of the first few games. Ishan Kishan has been appointed as the captain, while Abhishek Sharma will serve as his deputy. Like RCB, SRH too have been hit with multiple injuries, as Ehsan Malinga is yet to join the squad, while Jack Edwards is ruled out. David Payne replaced him in the squad.
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Pitch Report
The surface at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium hasn’t changed despite it hosting no game for nearly a year. It will heavily assist the batters as a high-scoring contest is expected. The team winning the toss is very likely to bowl first, as chasing is relatively easier. No target is quite safe in T20 cricket anymore, but anything over 220 can be considered a good total.
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