The IPL 2026 kicked off on Saturday with RCB facing off against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The season opener sees a host of new faces take the field, with Abhinandan Singh, Salil Arora and Jacob Duffy to make their debuts. RCB earlier won the toss and opted to field first in the opening game.
RCB vs SRH Playing XIs
RCB: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
SRH: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klassen, Salil Arora, Aniket Verma, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Jaydev Unadkat
Salil Arora
Salil Arora made waves in domestic cricket before being snapped up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 auction. Playing for Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smashed a stunning 125 off just 45 balls, reaching the three-figure mark in 39 deliveries. The 23-year-old was purchased by the Sunrisers for a staggering ₹1.5 Crore.
"I think Salil (Arora) is one to watch. He’s been in very good touch, and I just want him to keep things simple, watch the ball and play his game," Kishan said at the toss.
Abhinandan Singh
Abhinandan Singh has been a part of the RCB squad for a number of years, but is yet to make his debut for the franchise. Singh made his mark in the UPT20 league. With Yash Dayal not part of the season, Singh has earned his chance, and will hope to make the most of his opportunity.
Jacob Duffy
Jacob Duffy will make his first appearance in the IPL. The New Zealand fast bowler had a breakthrough 2025, finishing as the leading wicket-taker across formats in international cricket. Duffy makes his debut with both Josh Hazlewood and Nuwan Thushara ruled out of action.
