RCB Predicted XI vs SRH, IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Sunrisers Hyderabad during their tournament opener at their backyard on Saturday. The reigning champions will try to begin their campaign on a high, but it's Josh Hazlewood's absence that will be quite concerning for them. Hazlewood has joined the team but will be missing the first few matches of the upcoming season. The Bengaluru-based franchise retained their core players, who helped them lift the title last year, and bought Venkatesh Iyer for a whopping Rs 7 crore and New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy.
All the focus will once again be on the opening duo: Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. They will aim to give the team a flying start. Kohli has been part of this team since the first edition and will aim for another dream run. Salt has scored consistently as an opener and will look to perform brilliantly again.
Venkatesh Iyer, a new addition, might bat at No. 3. Captain Rajat Patidar will bat at No. 4. Jitesh Sharma and Tim David will try to provide the much-needed finish as the middle-order batters.
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Both Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd performed consistently during IPL 2025. They will try to repeat their heroics to help the team qualify for the playoffs again.
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Suyash Sharma will lead their bowling attack. Jacob Duffy might replace the injured Josh Hazlewood. Youngster Mangesh Yadav could also be part of the playing XI as the impact player.
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RCB Predicted XI: Phil Salt, Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Jacob Duffy