IPL: Virat Kohli’s Bengaluru begin title defence against Ishan Kishan’s Hyderabad
Rajasthan Royals finished second to last in 2025 but are expected to be widely watched this year thanks to the 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru begin the defence of their Indian Premier League (IPL) crown with muted enthusiasm against Ishan Kishan and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.
Bengaluru’s build-up to launching the latest IPL has been overshadowed since June by the deaths of 11 fans in a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s victory parade for their maiden IPL title win.
It took months for Bengaluru to receive permission from state authorities to host IPL matches, and state cricket officials will honour the dead by leaving 11 seats in the stadium permanently empty.
Bengaluru, a three-time finalist, broke through with its first title in 2025 on the back of bowling led by Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood.
Hazlewood, however, has not played since November and is still recovering from hamstring and Achilles issues that forced him to miss the Ashes and the Twenty20 World Cup.
In his absence, medium-pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and spinner Krunal Pandya will shoulder the responsibility.