🏏 IPL 2026 | Match 1 | Dream11 Fantasy Tips
RCB vs SRH Dream11 Team Today
Best Fantasy Tips, Captain & Vice Captain
🔴
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
🏆 Defending Champions • Home Side
VS
IPL 2026 — Match 1 • Season Opener
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
March 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST
Live: Star Sports / JioHotstar
March 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST
Live: Star Sports / JioHotstar
🟠
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Away Side • Ishan Kishan stand-in captain
✅ TOSS UPDATE: RCB won the toss and elected to BOWL FIRST.
🚨 Key changes: Josh Hazlewood OUT (hamstring + Achilles — misses 2 matches). Pat Cummins OUT (fitness). Ishan Kishan leads SRH as stand-in captain. Jacob Duffy & Abhinandan Singh make IPL debuts for RCB. Teams updated below!
🚨 Key changes: Josh Hazlewood OUT (hamstring + Achilles — misses 2 matches). Pat Cummins OUT (fitness). Ishan Kishan leads SRH as stand-in captain. Jacob Duffy & Abhinandan Singh make IPL debuts for RCB. Teams updated below!
📋 Quick Navigation
🔍 Match Preview & Head-to-Head
IPL 2026 opens with a blockbuster clash — RCB vs SRH, the defending champions vs the 2016 title holders. This is only the second time RCB and SRH have faced off in an IPL opener. RCB won the toss and elected to bowl first, with Rajat Patidar citing the dew factor and Chinnaswamy's chasing history as the key reason.
RCB come into this match high on confidence after ending their 18-year trophy drought in IPL 2025. Virat Kohli — who needs just 339 more runs to become the first player to score 9,000 IPL runs — will be the key player to watch. SRH are led by stand-in captain Ishan Kishan after Pat Cummins was ruled out due to fitness issues. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma remain their explosive opening partnership.
📊 Head-to-Head Record
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total IPL Matches Played | 32 |
| RCB Wins | 14 |
| SRH Wins | 18 |
| Last IPL Meeting Winner | RCB (IPL 2025) |
| At Chinnaswamy (RCB home) | RCB wins ~62% of matches |
| Toss Result Today | ✅ RCB won — elected to BOWL FIRST |
💡 Fantasy Insight: RCB won the toss and bowl first — confirmed dew advantage for the chase. Back RCB top-order batters heavily: Kohli, Salt, Patidar are must-haves. Ishan Kishan is a big differential pick as SRH's surprise stand-in captain batting in the top order. Remove Hazlewood and Cummins from all teams — both are OUT.
🏟️ M. Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report & Weather
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is one of the most batting-friendly venues in IPL. The ground has the shortest boundaries in IPL — just 58–65 metres — making it a six-hitting paradise. Average first innings score here is 180–195. The pitch is flat and true with good pace and carry.
🏏 For Batsmen
Excellent batting conditions. Short boundaries mean even mistimed shots clear the fence. Openers and aggressive middle-order batters thrive. Expect 180–200+ first innings scores.
🎳 For Bowlers
Tough conditions for bowlers. Pace bowlers get some movement early but get hit later. Spinners can be effective in middle overs. Death bowlers need to be at their best.
🌙 Dew Factor
Heavy dew expected in evening at Bengaluru in late March. RCB made the correct call bowling first — team chasing will benefit significantly. Spinners lose grip in 2nd innings.
🌤️ Weather (March 28)
Bengaluru in late March: Pleasant. Temperature 26–30°C. Low humidity. Clear skies expected. No rain threat. Dew will set in after sunset during 2nd innings.
🎯 Fantasy Tip: RCB are chasing with dew — load up on RCB top-order batters (Kohli, Salt, Patidar). Jacob Duffy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are your RCB bowling picks. Avoid SRH spinners (Harsh Dubey) who will struggle with dew in the 2nd innings. Ishan Kishan batting high for SRH is a key pick.
📋 ✅ Confirmed Playing XI
✅ Confirmed XI after toss at 7:00 PM IST — March 28, 2026.
🔴 Royal Challengers Bengaluru — Confirmed XI
| # | Player | Role | Batting Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | BAT | Opener |
| 2 | Phil Salt | WK | Opener |
| 3 | Rajat Patidar (C) | BAT | No. 3 |
| 4 | Jitesh Sharma | WK | No. 4 |
| 5 | Tim David | BAT | No. 5 |
| 6 | Romario Shepherd | ALL | No. 6 |
| 7 | Krunal Pandya | ALL | No. 7 |
| 8 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | BOWL | No. 8 |
| 9 | Abhinandan Singh | BOWL | No. 9 — 🆕 IPL Debut |
| 10 | Jacob Duffy | BOWL | No. 10 — 🆕 IPL Debut |
| 11 | Suyash Sharma | BOWL | No. 11 |
❌ OUT: Josh Hazlewood (hamstring + Achilles — misses first 2 matches), Yash Dayal (out full season), Nuwan Thushara (denied NOC)
🟠 Sunrisers Hyderabad — Confirmed XI
| # | Player | Role | Batting Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Head | BAT | Opener |
| 2 | Abhishek Sharma | ALL | Opener |
| 3 | Ishan Kishan (C) | WK | No. 3 — Stand-in captain |
| 4 | Heinrich Klaasen | BAT | No. 4 |
| 5 | Aniket Verma | BAT | No. 5 |
| 6 | Nitish Kumar Reddy | ALL | No. 6 |
| 7 | Salil Arora | BOWL | No. 7 |
| 8 | Harshal Patel | BOWL | No. 8 |
| 9 | Harsh Dubey | BOWL | No. 9 |
| 10 | Jaydev Unadkat | BOWL | No. 10 |
| 11 | Eshan Malinga | BOWL | No. 11 |
❌ OUT: Pat Cummins (fitness), Kamindu Mendis (not in XI)
⭐ Top Fantasy Picks — Role-wise
🥊 Top Batsmen Picks
| Player | Team | Why Pick? |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 🔴 RCB | Home ground chase with dew — ideal conditions. Needs 339 more for 9,000 IPL runs. Must pick. |
| Ishan Kishan | 🟠 SRH | Stand-in captain batting at No. 3 — aggressive batter with big match temperament. Great differential pick. |
| Travis Head | 🟠 SRH | Explosive opener — 200+ SR in recent form, destroys pace bowling on flat venues. |
| Rajat Patidar | 🔴 RCB | RCB captain, bats at No. 3 — consistent scorer at home with good record at Chinnaswamy. |
🎳 Top Bowler Picks
| Player | Team | Why Pick? |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob Duffy | 🔴 RCB | IPL debutant replacing Hazlewood — NZ pacer, ultra-low ownership differential pick. High upside. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 🔴 RCB | Swing in powerplay at home — effective against SRH's aggressive openers early on. |
| Harshal Patel | 🟠 SRH | Death bowling expert — knows Chinnaswamy well from his RCB days. High wicket potential. |
| Abhinandan Singh | 🔴 RCB | IPL debutant — low ownership differential pick, good pace option for RCB. |
🏅 Top All-rounder Picks
| Player | Team | Why Pick? |
|---|---|---|
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 🟠 SRH | Bats at No. 6 + useful pace — consistent fantasy scorer, one of IPL's best young all-rounders. |
| Abhishek Sharma | 🟠 SRH | Opener + part-time spin — 200 SR recently, one of IPL's most dangerous openers. |
| Krunal Pandya | 🔴 RCB | Spin in middle overs + lower order bat — good value pick at Chinnaswamy. |
🎖️ Best Captain & Vice Captain Choices
🏆 Captain Options (2x Points)
| Player | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Virat Kohli | 🔴 RCB | Home ground chase with dew — proven IPL performer, high floor. Safest captain for small leagues. |
| ⭐ Travis Head | 🟠 SRH | Explosive opener — if he fires at Chinnaswamy, massive points. Best GL captain option. |
| Ishan Kishan | 🟠 SRH | Stand-in SRH captain, aggressive No. 3 batter — surprise differential captain for GL. |
🥈 Vice Captain Options (1.5x Points)
| Player | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 🔴 RCB | Safe VC — opener in dew-assisted chase, power-hitting suits Chinnaswamy's short boundaries. |
| Abhishek Sharma | 🟠 SRH | Opener with 200 SR — bat + bowl combo gives multiple scoring chances. |
| Rajat Patidar | 🔴 RCB | RCB captain batting at No. 3 — consistent fantasy scorer at home ground. |
🎯 Strategy:
For Small Leagues (H2H) → Virat Kohli (C) + Phil Salt (VC) — Safe chase combo, both benefit from dew.
For Grand Leagues → Travis Head (C) + Jacob Duffy (VC) — Low ownership, massive ceiling if both fire.
For Grand Leagues → Travis Head (C) + Jacob Duffy (VC) — Low ownership, massive ceiling if both fire.
🏆 Suggested Dream11 Teams
✅ Team 1 — Small League / H2H Safe Team
Phil Salt
WK | RCB
WK | RCB
Virat Kohli
BAT | RCBC
BAT | RCBC
Rajat Patidar
BAT | RCB
BAT | RCB
Travis Head
BAT | SRH
BAT | SRH
Abhishek Sharma
ALL | SRHVC
ALL | SRHVC
Nitish Kr. Reddy
ALL | SRH
ALL | SRH
Krunal Pandya
ALL | RCB
ALL | RCB
Ishan Kishan
WK | SRH
WK | SRH
Jacob Duffy
BOWL | RCB
BOWL | RCB
Harshal Patel
BOWL | SRH
BOWL | SRH
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
BOWL | RCB
BOWL | RCB
✅ Team 2 — Grand League Differential Team
Ishan Kishan
WK | SRH
WK | SRH
Travis Head
BAT | SRHC
BAT | SRHC
Virat Kohli
BAT | RCB
BAT | RCB
Rajat Patidar
BAT | RCB
BAT | RCB
Abhishek Sharma
ALL | SRH
ALL | SRH
Nitish Kr. Reddy
ALL | SRH
ALL | SRH
Romario Shepherd
ALL | RCB
ALL | RCB
Aniket Verma
BAT | SRH
BAT | SRH
Jacob Duffy
BOWL | RCBVC
BOWL | RCBVC
Harshal Patel
BOWL | SRH
BOWL | SRH
Abhinandan Singh
BOWL | RCB
BOWL | RCB
🚫 Players to Avoid in Dream11
| Player | Team | Reason to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Hazlewood | 🔴 RCB | OUT — hamstring + Achilles injury. Not playing. Remove from all teams immediately. |
| Pat Cummins | 🟠 SRH | OUT — fitness issues. Not in XI today. Do not pick. |
| Harsh Dubey | 🟠 SRH | Spinner bowling in 2nd innings with heavy dew — will lose grip, likely expensive. |
| Yash Dayal | 🔴 RCB | OUT for the full IPL 2026 season — do not pick under any circumstances. |
| Suyash Sharma | 🔴 RCB | Leg-spinner in dew-affected 2nd innings — risky at Chinnaswamy with short boundaries. |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is the best captain for RCB vs SRH Dream11 today?
A: Virat Kohli is the safest captain — chasing at home with dew advantage. For Grand Leagues, Travis Head is a high-ceiling pick. Ishan Kishan (SRH stand-in captain at No. 3) is a great differential captain option.
Q: Is Josh Hazlewood playing today for RCB?
A: No — Josh Hazlewood is OUT with a hamstring and Achilles injury and will miss at least RCB's first 2 matches. Jacob Duffy makes his IPL debut in his place. Remove Hazlewood from any pre-saved teams immediately.
Q: Is Pat Cummins playing for SRH today?
A: No — Pat Cummins is unavailable due to fitness issues. Ishan Kishan is the stand-in captain for SRH today. Salil Arora replaces Cummins in the XI. Do not pick Cummins.
Q: How many players to pick from RCB and SRH in Dream11?
A: With RCB chasing and dew advantage confirmed, go 7 RCB + 4 SRH for small leagues. For Grand Leagues try 6 RCB + 5 SRH. Jacob Duffy and Abhinandan Singh are low-ownership RCB bowling differentials.
Q: Where can I watch RCB vs SRH IPL 2026 live?
A: Live on Star Sports Network (TV) and streaming on JioHotstar (App/Web). Match starts at 7:30 PM IST on March 28, 2026. Toss happened at 7:00 PM IST.
Q: What is the pitch like at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium?
A: Chinnaswamy is a flat batting paradise with the shortest boundaries in IPL (58–65m). Expect 180–200+ first innings scores. Dew heavily favours the chasing team in evening matches — RCB made the correct call bowling first after winning the toss.
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⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment and informational purposes only. Fantasy cricket involves financial risk — play responsibly.