The first match of IPL 2026 will be played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, March 28. Fans are very excited about this match. So, let’s see what could be the possible playing XI of both the teams for this match. Apart from this, you will also get information related to pitch report and live streaming here.
pitch report
It is often seen in IPL matches that the pitch of M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is flat. Here the ball hits the bat very well, due to which the batsmen do not face any problem in scoring runs. Additionally, the batsmen also get the benefit of the short boundaries of this ground. The combination of a flat pitch and short boundaries is like icing on the cake for any batsman. It is possible that we may see sixes and fours raining in the very first match. At the same time, from the bowlers’ point of view, this pitch proves to be quite challenging; The bowlers do not get much help from the pitch. There is very little margin for error for the bowlers on this ground. It will be interesting to see how the pitch behaves in this first match.
What time will the match start?
According to the schedule, the first match will be played in the evening. As per Indian Standard Time (IST), the match will start at 7:30 PM, while the toss will take place half an hour earlier, at 7:00 PM.
Where to watch the match live on TV and mobile?
In India, the match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network. Whereas, live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.
RCB’s probable playing XI for the match
Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (captain), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Romario Shepherd / Jacob Bethel, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Mangesh Yadav. Hyderabad’s probable playing XI
Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (captain), Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Aniket Verma, Liam Livingstone, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat.