Indian superstar Virat Kohli and talented batter Devdutt Padikkal stole the show in the IPL 2026 opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, March 28.
Chasing 202 runs for victory against the SRH, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal have put on a massive 101-run partnership in just 45 balls for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Padikkal played an explosive knock of 61 off 26 balls, while Kohli anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69.
Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal steal the show in IPL 2026 opener
Their strong and entertaining partnership powered RCB to a stunning six-wicket win with 26 balls to spare against the SRH at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The defending champions had a perfect start as Jacob Duffy shined on debut, taking 3 wickets for 22 runs to put SRH on the back foot.
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But it was Kohli and Padikkal who finished the job, boosting the scoring rate and keeping the momentum in RCB’s favor. Playing at his home ground, the Karnataka batter looked calm and in full control, carrying his excellent domestic form into the 2026 season opener on Saturday.
However, it was Kohli’s approach at the crease that impressed the former India and KKR batter Aakash Chopra the most, and he couldn’t stop praising the RCB icon on social media.
His biggest strength is to keep the ego aside: Aakash Chopra hails Virat Kohli
Chopra pointed out how Virat Kohli let Padikkal play his natural aggressive game, never letting ego come in the way, and focused only on winning for his team.
The cricket pandit said that the former Indian captain’s maturity and selflessness showed why he remains one of the most respected leaders and finishers in cricket.
Chopra posted on X: “Kohli’s biggest strength is to keep the ego aside…if Padikkal is smashing, he’s happy to play second fiddle. He did the same with Rajat. He never takes his eyes off the bigger picture…which is ‘Winning the game’ for Ji’s team. Champion player. 🙌 #RCBvSRH”
Kohli’s biggest strength is to keep the ego aside…if Padikkal is smashing, he’s happy to play second fiddle. He did the same with Rajat. He never takes his eyes off the bigger picture…which is ‘Winning the game’ for Ji’s team. Champion player. 🙌 #RCBvSRH
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 28, 2026
He completely took the game away from the opposition: Virat Kohli hails Devdutt Padikkal
Meanwhile, Kohli himself showered rich praise on Padikkal for his remarkable efforts against the SRH in Bengaluru. He said at the post-match presentation: “Outstanding knock. I mean, right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike and pick the odd boundary here and there.”
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Kohli added, “He completely took the game away from the opposition. I even told him that shot he hit off the slower ball over mid-on for six, at that moment I said, just keep going. You’re hitting the ball amazingly well, just keep pushing and take the game away from the opposition. If we finish with 25-26 balls to spare, we’ll also benefit in terms of net run rate.”
Notably, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on the Chennai Super Kings in their IPL 2026 clash on April 5 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru before traveling to Guwahati to face Rajasthan Royals on April 10.