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RCB is returning to M Chinnaswamy stadium with mixed emotions after 11 fans died celebrating the team's title triumph outside the venue last year. Players will wear black armbands, and 11 seats will be left vacant permanently.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during a practice session ahead of IPL 2026 match(RCB)RCB vs SH: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 tournament opener at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.
This is only the second time these sides have met in the tournament's very first game. The last was in 2017, when SRH were the reigning champions. The tables are now turned.
RCB is returning to M Chinnaswamy stadium with mixed emotions after 11 fans died celebrating the team's title triumph outside the venue last year. Players will wear black armbands, and 11 seats will be left vacant permanently.
Head-to-Head Record
SRH hold a slight overall edge in this rivalry, having won 13 of the 26 IPL meetings between the sides, against RCB's 11 wins. However, at Chinnaswamy, RCB have won 5 of the 8 games played between the two.
The most memorable of those was in 2024, when SRH posted what remains the highest score in IPL history, only for RCB to respond in kind, losing by just 25 runs. It is the highest aggregate match ever played in the tournament.
RCB vs SH: When and where is the match?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad will face each other on Saturday, March 28, marking the first match of the 19th edition of IPL.
The IPL 2026 match will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
RCB vs SH: What time will the match start?
The toss for the IPL 2026 season opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad is scheduled for 7:00 PM IST. The match will likely begin at 7:30 PM IST.
RCB vs SH: Where to watch on TV?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 match will be televised on the Star Sports Network.
RCB vs SH: Where to watch online?
All matches of IPL 2026, including the opening match of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be streamed live online on the JioCinema app and website.
RCB vs SH: Key Players to Watch
Virat Kohli is the standout name. He is the highest run-scorer in this rivalry by a distance, and Chinnaswamy is his fortress. His coach, Andy Flower, said Kohli is hungry and at the "peak of his powers".
For SRH, Ishan Kishan comes in red-hot form after an outstanding T20 World Cup 2026, where he scored 317 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 193.29. He will also be captaining an IPL side for the first time.
Travis Head's explosiveness at the top is a serious threat to any powerplay bowling unit. We can’t forget that Abhishek Sharma came back to form at the right time in the T20 World Cup 2026. Hyderabad fans hope that he continues what he started.
Harshal Patel, who knows this ground intimately from his RCB days, may be the difference-maker with the ball.
Keep an eye on Suyash Sharma for RCB. While everyone is looking at Kohli and Salt, Suyash was the Qualifier 1 hero in 2025. On a flat Chinnaswamy deck, his leg-spin might be the only thing that slows down Travis Head.
About the Author
Arshdeep Kaur
Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.
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