Indian premier league 2026

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are all set to play the season opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday. Ahead of the fixture, head coach Andy Flower said the team is approaching the new campaign with a fresh outlook despite entering the tournament as the defending champions.

“Of course, we are the holders from last year, but this is a brand new year, and we’re all looking forward to the challenge. One of the truths in life is that change is always there. We are a different group now; the players are a year older, and our opponents have evolved in certain ways. Conditions might also be different, so the challenge of this IPL will be completely different to the last one, and we’re excited about that,” Flower said.