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Bengaluru Wins IPL Opener Against Hyderabad By 6 Wickets; Kohli Shines
Bengaluru Kicks Off IPL Season With Kohli Special
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending champions, marked a memorable season opener by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets with 26 balls remaining. The match, held at Chinnaswamy Stadium, was the first cricket event there in a year after a horrific stampede during their previous victory party, prompting stadium refurbishment and enhanced security. Virat Kohli delivered a classic performance, scoring an impressive 69 runs off 38 balls, playing a pivotal role in the chase. Despite not having played a competitive T20 game since the last IPL final, Kohli appeared to be in perfect form, attributing his readiness to his ODI appearances leading up to the season.
Duffy's Impactful Debut and Kishan's Half-Century in Vain
Sunrisers Hyderabad, batting first, set a challenging target of 201 runs. Ishan Kishan, captaining in the absence of Pat Cummins, hit 80 runs off 38 balls, including a half-century off just 21 balls – his fastest in IPL. However, his efforts were not adequately supported by the rest of the batters, leaving Hyderabad short. The real impact performance came from Bengaluru's debutant, Jacob Duffy, who picked up 3 wickets for 22 runs. His crucial powerplay overs and overall spell significantly restricted Hyderabad, ultimately earning him the Player of the Match award. Despite Kishan's valiant half-century, Duffy's contribution in limiting the opposition's score was instrumental in Bengaluru's comfortable victory, marking a special opening night for the Indian Premier League.
*Source: YouTube: NDTV (2026-03-28)*