Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) made a blazing start against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their crucial IPL 2026 clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, reaching 116/2 at the end of 10 overs after being asked to bat first. The home side came out with aggressive intent from the very beginning, with openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma once again providing a rapid start in the powerplay.
Travis Head looked in excellent touch during his brief stay at the crease, smashing 26 runs off just 16 deliveries, including five boundaries, before being dismissed. However, the spotlight firmly belonged to Abhishek Sharma, who continued his sensational IPL 2026 campaign with another explosive knock at the top of the order.
The left-handed batter hammered 56 runs from only 22 balls, striking four fours and five massive sixes at an extraordinary strike rate. His fearless approach kept the RCB bowling attack under constant pressure and helped SRH maintain a scoring rate well above 11 runs per over.
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Following the dismissals of both openers, Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan steadied the innings while continuing to score freely in the middle overs. The experienced duo remained unbeaten at the crease at the 10-over mark as Sunrisers Hyderabad looked set for another massive total at their home ground.
For Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rasikh Salam and Suyash Sharma picked up one wicket each, while senior bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Romario Shepherd were still searching for breakthroughs during the innings.
Ra-seeking revenge after three fours 🔥
The perfect yorker to dismiss Travis Head 👊
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Earlier in the evening, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat first, revealing that the team wanted to continue testing themselves ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs despite already securing qualification.
“We’ll bat first. I know the top-two chances are a long shot, but we’ll give it a proper crack tonight,” Pat Cummins said at the toss. The Australian skipper also praised SRH’s consistency throughout the season and acknowledged the incredible support from fans at Uppal Stadium. “The supporters here have been amazing all season. We’ve enjoyed playing night games in Hyderabad, and hopefully we can finish the league stage strongly,” Cummins added.
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With playoff momentum on the line, SRH’s explosive batting display once again highlighted why they remain one of the most dangerous teams in IPL 2026.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (C), Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Ravichandran Smaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain.
