The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League 2026 will commence on Saturday, March 28, with the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru starting the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the historic M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
RCB will not have all the major players on board, as it is led by Rajat Patidar into the fray. Josh Hazlewood, the premier pacer, is out of the opening few games, and Yash Dayal has been forced out of the whole season on personal grounds. The same is also questionable in the case of Nuwan Thushara, who has not been given a clearance by Sri Lanka Cricket on fitness grounds.
Also, SRH will be without their captain and a key pacer, Pat Cummins. This franchise has been late in this move, and they have replaced the injured Jack Edwards with David Payne. The absence of crucial bowlers by both teams leaves the ramps to some individuals who may rise to the occasion and have a big influence on the ball at the start of the tournament.
Let us have a look at the top three players who could emerge as the top wicket-taker in the RCB vs SRH match:
1. Krunal Pandya
Krunal is an important bowler to look out for because he was crucial to the title-winning campaign of RCB last season. The spinner on the left arm had 17 wickets in 15 games with a high economy of 8.23. Pandya is versatile and can also provide in the power play as well as in the death, and thus he has been a great asset. He has a big milestone with 93 IPL wickets to his name.
2. Harshal Patel
One of the best candidates is Harshal Patel for SRH, who has been successful in the IPL. Having 151 wickets in 119 matches, he is still one of the steadiest wicket-takers in the league. He is a threat because of his pace variations, particularly when it comes to the overs of death. The former RCB pacer had the best seasons in 2021 and 2024 and collected 32 and 24 wickets, respectively.
His breakthrough ability was emphasised in the IPL 2025 when he took 16 wickets in 13 games and took 2 four-wicket hauls.
Also read: Top 3 players likely to be the highest scorers in RCB vs SRH match
3. Jacob Duffy
The Kiwi pacer can be a very useful asset to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Duffy, as a result of his precision and capacity to play the new ball with alternating swings, offers a sense of control to the powerplay, which is a field in which the RCB have previously exhibited weaknesses. His disciplined line and length can aid in limiting the resistance of opposition batters early, and his experience in the T20 league enables him to fit rapidly into the pressure state.
Also, Duffy has the ability to pick up wickets at critical times, which makes him a viable choice to destroy partnerships, especially those of SRH. His capability to combine variations and remain composed on batting-friendly ground such as Chinnaswamy can be central to the bowling balance of RCB.
The Chinnaswamy conditions tend to favour the batters, and as soon as the bowlers are able to adjust and implement their plans in the stressful situation, they will have an opportunity to become game changers in the first match.
