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The Indian Premier League opened on March 28, 2026, at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) electing to bowl and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finishing 201 for 9 in 20 overs.
Interim SRH captain Ishan Kishan top-scored with a blistering 80 off 38 balls; Aniket Verma added a late 43 off 18 to push the total past 200.
RCB pacer Jacob Duffy picked up three early wickets (three for 22) to reduce SRH to 29 for 3, while Romario Shepherd finished with three for 54.
The match featured debuts for RCB’s Jacob Duffy and Abhinandan Singh and SRH’s Salil Arora.
Heinrich Klaasen’s dismissal prompted a DRS boundary review that generated on-field drama.
High-profile absences included SRH captain Pat Cummins, sidelined by a back stress injury, and RCB’s Josh Hazlewood, not yet match-ready.
The season began in a subdued tone: there was no opening ceremony, players from both sides wore black armbands, a minute’s silence was observed, and 11 seats were left empty at Chinnaswamy in memory of fans killed in a 2025 stampede.
Broadcast and streaming rights drew attention — Star Sports and JioHotstar carry live coverage while telecom bundles from Airtel and Jio offered free access for subscribers.
Reports also noted continued strong franchise valuations, including RCB’s recent sale.





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