IPL 2025 Kicks Off: Defending Champions Bengaluru Face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Season Opener

Hyderabad. The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) begins today. The first match will be played between reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The match will start at 7:45 PM at Bengaluru's home ground, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bengaluru won their first title last season by defeating Punjab Kings. Hyderabad, on the other hand, failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in sixth place.

• Head-to-Head

A total of 25 matches have been played between Bengaluru and Hyderabad so far. Hyderabad has won 13 of these matches, while Bengaluru has secured 11 victories. One match ended in a tie, which Hyderabad won in the Super Over.

The two teams have faced each other 8 times at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, with Bengaluru winning 5 times and Hyderabad winning 3 times.

• Balanced Bengaluru Across All Three Departments

The Bengaluru squad is balanced across batting, bowling, and all-rounders. In batting, they have excellent openers like Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. Devdutt Padikkal also had an excellent domestic season. Padikkal or Venkatesh Iyer might be seen batting at number three this time.

In the middle order, Tim David and Jitesh Sharma also made a significant impact with their explosive batting in IPL 2025. The team will expect excellent performances this season too from Romario Shepherd and Krunal Pandya. The arrival of Venkatesh Iyer makes the team's batting order look even more balanced.

In the absence of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, and Jacob Duffy will be key bowlers.

• Hyderabad's Strong Top Order

Hyderabad will once again rely heavily on its top order. Hyderabad expects strong performances from Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan. In Pat Cummins' absence, Ishan will be seen captaining the initial matches. Heinrich Klaasen was the team's highest run-scorer last season.

Aniket Verma impressed as a finisher in IPL 2025. The Hyderabad team also has high hopes from Nitish Reddy and Liam Livingstone.

The team's bowling unit appears somewhat weak. In Cummins' absence, Ishan Malinga, Harshal Patel, and Jaydev Unadkat will lead the pace bowling attack.

Team Update

Bengaluru:

Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal, who helped them become champions in 2025, is out for the entire tournament. He will not be allowed to play in the IPL due to personal reasons. Furthermore, Australian Josh Hazlewood, who supported him, will also miss the initial matches. Bengaluru won many crucial games relying on these two bowlers.

Hyderabad:

Captain Pat Cummins will miss the initial matches due to injury. He himself has stated that he is targeting the second half of the IPL, meaning he might miss 6 to 8 games. Australian Jack Edwards is out due to injury, and David Payne has been included in his place. Sri Lanka's Ishan Malinga will also miss the initial matches.

• Pitch Report: High-Scoring Game Likely

The pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium is generally considered favorable for batsmen. The pitch here is flat, and the ball comes onto the bat easily, making it easier to play big shots. Due to short boundaries and a fast outfield, high-scoring games are often seen at this venue.

However, fast bowlers might get some slight assistance at the start of the match. Spinners do not get much turn here, so they must rely on variations. Dew also plays a significant role in night games.

A total of 100 IPL matches have been played at this stadium. The team batting first has won 43 matches, and the team bowling first has won 53 matches. 4 matches were inconclusive. The highest team score at this ground is 287/3, which Sunrisers Hyderabad set against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last year.

• Possibility of Rain in Bengaluru

There is a possibility of rain in the match scheduled for Saturday, with the Meteorological Department predicting a 3% chance of precipitation. Bengaluru's temperature is expected to be between 20 and 32 degrees Celsius. The wind speed might be around 7 kilometers per hour.

• Probable Playing-12 for Both Teams

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar (Captain), Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Suyash Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (Captain), Heinrich Klaasen (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone, Aniket Verma, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Jishan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat.