Sunrisers Hyderabad endured a shaky start in the IPL 2026 opener, with Abhishek Sharma once again struggling to convert his opportunity at the top. The left-hander managed just seven runs off eight deliveries before falling inside the powerplay, extending a concerning run of inconsistency that has followed him from the international circuit into the league.
The early damage was inflicted by debutant Jacob Duffy, who made an immediate impact for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Picked up at his base price of ₹2 crore, Duffy justified the team’s faith with a disciplined spell, helping reduce SRH to 49/3 within the powerplay overs.
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However, Sunrisers Hyderabad found some stability through a crucial partnership between Heinrich Klaasen and skipper Ishan Kishan. The duo stitched together a 97-run stand for the fourth wicket, rebuilding the innings with controlled aggression. Kishan, in particular, looked in fine touch as he brought up a fluent half-century to anchor the recovery.
70% of the world is covered by water and the rest is covered by sir Phil Salt.pic.twitter.com/iAZ0XfarYi
— mutualheree (@mxtualstrk) March 28, 2026
Just when SRH appeared to be gaining momentum, a moment of brilliance in the field shifted the balance again. Phil Salt produced a stunning one-handed catch at deep backward point to dismiss Kishan in the 16th over. Sprinting to his right, Salt plucked the ball inches above the turf, showcasing exceptional athleticism and awareness.
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That wicket proved to be a turning point, halting SRH’s charge and putting RCB back in control during a crucial phase of the innings.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI): Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, Suyash Sharma
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w/c), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga
