“Fearless, flawless, phenomenal” – Fans react to Ishan Kishan’s brave knock in RCB vs SRH IPL 2026 opener
Playing the IPL 2026 opener against RCB as a SRH captain, Ishan Kishan slammed a 27-ball fifty that the left-handed batter scored a powerful 38-ball 80 runs.
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SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) had a poor start in the IPL 2026 opening game against the hosts and defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), which Bengaluru is hosting on Saturday night (March 28). However, the new IPL captain Ishan Kishan from SRH, who is running in dream form with the bat, has played another great knock under pressure, which has helped the IPL 2016 champions to return to the game.
IPL 2025-winning captain Rajat Patidar from RCB chose to field first after winning the toss in the IPL 2026 opener. Although the SRH have some fire-powered batting names, it had a flop start with 29/3. IPL debutant Jacob Duffy, the New Zealand pacer, hugely impressed by picking up crucial first three SRH wickets inside the powerplay, as he dismissed Abhishek Sharma (7), Travis Head (11), and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1).
In the powerplay, Jacob Duffy and experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled impressively, as SRH failed to score quickly, which added more pressure for the visitors. It ultimately resulted in 49 for three for SRH at the end of the powerplay.
See Also: Watch: Double blow for SRH as Jacob Duffy removes Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head in IPL 2026 opener
Ishan Kishan shines under pressure in IPL 2026 Match 1
It is the first IPL match for Ishan Kishan as a captain, which he has made memorable with his powerful batting, while SRH were in crisis. Although the other SRH batters struggled, it hadn't made any impact for the in-form batter Ishan, who continued his strong batting performance, where he just ended in the successful ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.
Struggling at 29/3, Ishan's powerful batting and a strong fourth wicket partnership with the South African cricketer Heinrich Klaasen helped SRH to return to the game. They had a 97-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Despite a poor start, SRH stand-in captain Ishan slammed a 27-ball fifty, which was his 19th 50+ score in his IPL career.
While Klaasen scored 31 off 22 balls, Ishan scored 80 off 38 balls before Phil Salt's brilliant catches sent them to the dugout. Before Salt's stunning catch, Ishan hit eight fours and five sixes. When Ishan was out, SRH were batting at 155/6 in 16 overs. Fans can't stop praising the new SRH captain, as Ishan produced another fearless knock.
Fans praise Ishan Kishan’s match-defining performance
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