NewKerala.com

RCB Debuts New Pacers, Honors Stampede Victims in IPL 2026 Opener

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru handed IPL debuts to pacers Abhinandan Singh and Jacob Duffy as they chose to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2026 season opener. The match marks the return of cricket to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which underwent changes after a fatal stampede during RCB's 2025 title celebrations. RCB players are wearing black armbands and sported number '11' jerseys in practice to honor the 11 lives lost. Sunrisers Hyderabad are led by Ishan Kishan in place of the injured Pat Cummins, with batter Salil Arora also making his tournament debut.

Key Points: IPL 2026: RCB vs SRH Opening Clash, Debuts, and Tribute

  • RCB honors 2025 stampede victims
  • Two debutants for RCB
  • Ishan Kishan leads SRH
  • Stadium returns after renovations
3 min read

IPL 2026: Abhinandan, Duffy handed tournament debut as RCB elect to bowl first against SRH

RCB debuts Abhinandan Singh & Jacob Duffy, wears black armbands to honor stampede victims. SRH led by Ishan Kishan in IPL 2026 opener.

"We are not defending anything, we will win in IPL 2026 as well. - Rajat Patidar"

Bengaluru, March 28

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru have handed debuts to pacers Abhinandan Singh and Jacob Duffy as captain Rajat Patidar elected to bowl first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opening clash at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.

Saturday's game also marks the return of competitive cricket to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time since May 17, 2025, especially after a stampede during RCB's title winning celebrations on June 4 that claimed 11 lives.

Extensive changes have since been carried out at the stadium, while RCB players will take the field wearing black armbands as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives last season and sported number '11' jerseys during their practice session ahead of the clash.

Amidst loud cheers from the RCB-supporting crowd, Patidar said, "It is a season opener, so let's see how the wicket behaves. There are a lot of positives from last season. We are not defending anything, we will win in IPL 2026 as well.

"There are a lot of good players in the side and the backup players are great as well. All players are fit and the medical staff is looking after the players. Thank you so much (to the fans) for supporting us. We will try and win this again," he said.

SRH, the 2016 winners, will be led by Ishan Kishan, the franchise's second-youngest skipper after Kane Williamson, as regular captain Pat Cummins continues to recover from a lumbar stress injury in the back. Kishan, captaining in the IPL for the first time, also said Punjab batter Salil Arora will be debuting in the competition.

"Feeling good, and we wanted to field first as well. We want to back our instincts. You don't have to start something new just because it is the IPL. We just want to execute our plans.

"Obviously Pat is one of the best bowlers, but everyone looks in good touch and I feel we will be on the winning side. Salil is there (in the playing eleven), and just want him to keep things simple and trust his instincts," he said.

Playing XIs

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Philip Salt, Rajat Patidar (captain), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Duffy, and Suyash Sharma

Impact Substitutes: Devdutt Padikkal, Jacob Bethell, Rasikh Salam, Kanishk Chouhan, and Venkatesh Iyer

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (captain & wicketkeeper), Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, and Eshan Malinga

Impact Substitutes: Shivang Kumar, Liam Livingstone, David Payne, Smaran Ravichandran, and Sakib Hussain

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting debut choices! Abhinandan Singh is a domestic workhorse, but Jacob Duffy? Over an Indian pacer? RCB's overseas player management has always been a puzzle. Hope they prove me wrong. SRH's batting looks absolutely lethal on this Chinnaswamy track.
P
Priya S
So excited for the new season! 🎉 Ee sala cup namde, but seriously, hope the stadium changes are effective. Safety first. All the best to debutants Abhinandan and Salil Arora! Big moment for them and their families.
V
Vikram M
Patidar's confidence is good to hear. "We are not defending, we will win again." That's the spirit! But bowling first at Chinnaswamy with two new pacers is a bold, bold move. Hope the dew factor helps them in the second innings.
I
Ishan Kishan
Big opportunity for Ishan Kishan as captain. Missing Cummins is a huge blow for SRH's bowling attack. Their success will depend heavily on how Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat bowl at the death. RCB's middle order with Tim David and Krunal Pandya can be devastating.
R
Rohit P
Good to see Suyash Sharma getting a game for RCB. We need more wrist-spin options for India. Also, Salil Arora from Punjab debuting for SRH! The IPL is truly the gateway for young talent. The future is here.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50