Royal Challengers Bengaluru open their IPL 2026 title defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday and both sides are already dealing with injury headaches before a ball is bowled.
For RCB, the big absence is Josh Hazlewood. The Australian pacer has linked up with the squad but won’t be available for the early matches. In his place, New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy steps in. RCB also brought in Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 7 crore at auction, slotting him into the top order. The core of the squad that won the IPL 2025 title has largely been retained.
The opening partnership remains RCB’s clearest path to a fast start. Virat Kohli needs no introduction at Chinnaswamy, and Phil Salt has made a habit of taking apart new-ball bowling in T20 cricket. Venkatesh Iyer is expected at No. 3, with captain Rajat Patidar at No. 4. The middle order gets its firepower from Jitesh Sharma and Tim David. All-rounders Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd both in strong form last season give the team balance through the lower order. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suryash Sharma complete the pace attack, with young left-arm seamer Mangesh Yadav in the frame as impact player.
RCB Predicted XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy.
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SRH come into this match without their captain. Pat Cummins is still working his way back from injury, handing the leadership to Ishan Kishan. Last season was a forgettable one for Hyderabad — a sixth-place finish where the batting unit fired but the bowling and fielding too often didn’t. Death-over bowling, in particular, cost them in tight matches.
The batting template hasn’t changed much. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma remain the opening pair, expected to swing hard from ball one. Abhishek had a rough IPL 2025 but found his feet in the T20 World Cup 2026, scoring a half-century in the final as India clinched the title. Kishan bats at three, Heinrich Klaasen at four. Nitish Kumar Reddy provides solidity at No. 5. New signing Liam Livingstone bought for Rs 13 crore is in line for the No. 6 spot, adding a spin bowling option alongside his hitting. Aniket Verma finishes off the innings as he did last year.
The pace bowling trio of Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, and Eshan Malinga operates behind sole specialist spinner Harsh Dubey. Zeeshan Ansari or Shivam Mavi could come in as impact player depending on pitch conditions.
SRH Predicted XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (C), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Harsh Dubey, Eshan Malinga.