IPL 2026 week one review: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma & Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shine
Five games into IPL 2026, a clear trend has emerged: chasing sides have won all five matches.
The superstars - Virat Kohli (69 vs SRH) and Rohit Sharma (78 vs KKR) - wasted no time stamping authority.
But the breakout story belongs to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The 15-year-old sensation lit up the opening week with a sensational joint third-fastest half-century in IPL history, giving us a glimpse of what lies ahead.
Here’s Sports News Blitz cricket writer Himanshu Sharma’s team-by-team review after the opening round of matches.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The defending champions have started like champions.
The batting unit looks settled and explosive. RCB think tank deserves credit for a smart like-for-like replacement in Jacob Duffy for Josh Hazlewood.
They took the field with purpose, an early sign they are serious contenders for back-to-back titles.
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Failing to defend a 200+ total, conceding 203/4 in under 16 overs against RCB, exposes SRH’s lack of bowling pedigree.
Ishan Kishan justified his stand-in captaincy with a fiery 80, leading from the front in the opening match.
However, the broader concern is a batting-heavy unit faltering and glaring bowling deficiencies.
The absence of regular skipper and bowling spearhead Pat Cummins is already hurting.
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Chennai Super Kings
A worrying start for the five-time IPL champs. CSK didn’t look like a side ready for a long campaign.
The inexperienced batting was exposed under pressure. The bowling standards were well below their usual benchmark.
There’s significant tightening required to stay in the play-off race.
Rajasthan Royals
RR produced a clinical all-round display to open their account.
The bowlers laid the platform with a disciplined effort, restricting the opposition to a below-par 127. The chase was a formality and wrapped up in just 12.1 overs.
The headline act: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned the chase into a one-man exhibition, racing to a jaw-dropping 15-ball half-ton.
Mumbai Indians
The most successful IPL side made an early statement with a win to kickstart their 2026 campaign.
Chasing down 220 against KKR, MI showed exactly why they’re among the favourites this season.
While the bowling had an off day in the opener, the batting unit more than compensated.
Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR were outplayed in all departments by Mumbai in their opening encounter.
The bowling attack looks significantly weakened.
While the batting has the firepower to post competitive totals, the imbalance is stark.
Early signs suggest a tough road ahead, with a play-off push already looking unlikely.
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Punjab Kings
PBKS got their campaign up and running with a composed chase after a solid bowling effort.
Restricting GT to 162/6 set things up nicely. The standout was debutant Cooper Connolly, who anchored the chase with an unbeaten 44-ball 72.
The bowling unit delivered a collective, disciplined performance.
Gujarat Titans
GT had a below-par outing to start their campaign.
The batting never quite got going and fell short of putting up a challenging total against PBKS.
The bowlers did show some fight, making inroads during the chase, but they didn’t have enough on the board to apply sustained pressure.
Delhi Capitals
DC did not have the smoothest start, but there are positives to take.
After the top order was blown away early, the middle order absorbed pressure.
Sameer Rizvi’s composed knock (70) under pressure left the biggest impression in the win.
Lucknow Super Giants
Plenty of questions for Rishabh Pant and LSG team management after their opening match.
Why break something that’s not broken? Not opening the batting with Marsh-Markram, one of the most successful opening combos of the last edition, is baffling.
Pushing a T20 powerhouse like Nicholas Pooran down the order and the absence of Digvesh Rathi were among other surprising calls.
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