RCB Vs SRH Toss Update (Source: Screengrab from HotStar)
RCB captain won the toss and opted to field first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 1 of IPL 2026, taking place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Led by Rajat Patidar, RCB were the IPL 2025 champions, ending the long-standing trophy drought after 18 long years. SRH, on the other hand, last won the title back in IPL 2016.
SRH would like to get the job done this time, with high-flying Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma around, coupled with the monster Travis Head. RCB, meanwhile, will miss the services of Josh Hazlewood, who has joined Bengaluru-based franchise, but is not ready to be in action yet.
RCB Vs SRH Playing XIs
RCB XI: Philip Salt, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
RCB Impact Subs: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Dar, Kanishk Chouhan, Venkatesh Iyer
SRH XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (c/wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
SRH Impact Subs: Shivang Kumar, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, Smaran Ravichandran, Sakib Hussain
Also Read: RCB vs SRH Free Live Streaming, Match 1 Live Telecast- Where to Watch IPL 2026 Live On TV, OTT, App?
RCB Vs SRH: Captain Quotes
Rajat Patidar: "We are going to bowl first. As we know, it is a season opener, so let us see how the wicket behaves.
Of course, there are a lot of positives from the last year. We are not going into defending anything. We are playing to become the champions.
There are a lot of good players in the side, everyone is fit and looking forward to this game. We'll try our best to put a second star on the jersey.
We have a couple of new guys. Jacob (Duffy) and Abhinandan are playing their first game."
Ishan Kishan: "It feels good. It's our first game. We would've bowled first as well. It looks like a fresh wicket. It doesn't matter at the end of the day whether you bat first or bowl first. You just need to back your instincts and play good cricket.
(On leading SRH tonight) I am just trying to keep things simple. You don't have to start doing something new because it's IPL. We have made some plans and we will look to execute it well.
(On playing without Pat Cummins) Obviously Pat is a big miss for us. He is one of the best bowlers in the team. Missing him out in the team makes a big difference. I think everyone looks in good touch. It's just about executing your plans and hopefully we will win the game if we do the right things.
(Any new faces?) Yes, as we are batting first so Salil (Arora) is playing tonight. He has been in good touch lately. I just want him to keep things simple, watch the ball well and play his natural game."
Notably, at the age of 27 years 253 days, Ishan Kishan became the second youngest captain for SRH in the IPL. He is 9 days older than the then Kane Williamson, who became SRH captain in IPL 2018.
Also Read: RCB vs SRH Dream11 Prediction Today Match, Fantasy Cricket Tips – IPL 2026, Match 1
