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The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began their IPL 2026 campaign with a dominating win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets.
The defending champions will now lock horns with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ahead of the match, RCB`s Jitesh Sharma said that the team is aiming to dominate again and prove that the triumph in the previous edition was not a one-off.
“This is not a one-year thing. We are here to dominate. I want to prove that what happened last season was not a one-off. Winning the first trophy for RCB was a magical feeling. The biggest satisfaction was knowing that I had contributed to it. That is a moment I will always be proud of,” he said.
The cricketer then said that he is proud that his father saw him don the Indian colours.
“When you lose your father, that void never really goes away. I am not trying to forget it. I want to carry that emotion with me and keep moving forward. I am proud that my father saw me wear the India jersey and saw me lift the trophy for RCB. That means everything to me,” said Jitesh.
Further speaking about his game, he credited former Team India cricketer Dinesh Karthik by saying he made him understand his game better.
“When I walked back into Chinnaswamy and saw the red and blue again, I felt reborn. Being back in that environment made me feel like myself again. A lot of the credit for my growth goes to DK `anna`. He helped me understand my game better, use my strengths properly and improve mentally. DK asked me to take a break, put the bat away for a while and spend time with my family and friends. That helped me reset,” said the 32-year-old cricketer.
IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings: Full Squads
Royal Challengers Bengaluru`s squad: Virat Kohli, Josh Hazlewood, Swapnil Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy, Krunal Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Venkatesh Iyer, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Nuwan Thushara, Romario Shepherd, Tim David, Devdutt Padikkal, Yash Dayal, Rasikh Salam, Jordan Cox, Jacob Bethell, Vicky Ostwal, Mangesh Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhinandan Singh, Kanishk Chouhan, Satvik Deswal.
Chennai Super Kings`s squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), MS Dhoni (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.
(With ANI Inputs)
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