New Delhi, March 26: The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off with a match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bengaluru. Historically, Sunrisers Hyderabad has had the upper hand against RCB.
In their previous encounters, a total of 26 matches have been played between the two teams, with Sunrisers Hyderabad winning 13 and RCB securing victory in 11 matches, while 2 matches ended without a result. Under the captaincy of Rajat Patidar, RCB had an impressive performance last season, ending an 18-year wait to clinch their first title.
On paper, RCB appears strong once again, with Virat Kohli and Phil Salt having provided explosive starts in the previous season. The opening pair of Kohli and Salt could pose a significant challenge for opposing teams in the upcoming season. Devdutt Padikkal had an outstanding domestic season and is expected to bat at number three this time. Tim David and Jitesh Sharma also made a notable impact with their explosive batting in IPL 2025. With the addition of Venkatesh Iyer, RCB’s batting lineup looks even more balanced.
However, RCB faces a setback as fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will not be available for the initial matches. In Hazlewood’s absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar will carry a significant responsibility. The team will also miss the services of Yash Dayal this season. New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy’s performance will be crucial for RCB.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad will once again rely heavily on their top order. Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan are expected to deliver strong performances. In the absence of Pat Cummins, Ishan is likely to lead the team in the early matches. Heinrich Klaasen was the top run-scorer for the team last season, while finisher Aniket Verma impressed with his batting in IPL 2025. Nitish Kumar Reddy aims to make a mark this season, and there are high hopes for Liam Livingstone as well.
However, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling attack appears to be relatively weak. In Cummins’ absence, Ishan Malinga, Harshal Patel, and Jaydev Unadkat will lead the pace attack. The team lacks a prominent spinner, but young spinner Zeeshan Ansari is expected to shine in IPL 2026.