India, March 28 -- Royal Challengers Bengaluru walked into IPL 2026 carrying an early selection problem that could easily have shaped the whole opening-night narrative. Josh Hazlewood, one of the pillars of their title-winning pace attack, was unavailable for the first game against Sunrisers Hyderabad as the franchise continued to manage his return. Against most sides, that is a concern. Against SRH, it can become a full-blown tactical fear. This is a batting unit built to detonate the powerplay, with left-handers at the top and enough range-hitting to turn one loose over into instant scoreboard damage.

That is why Jacob Duffy's first outing mattered beyond the headline of wickets. RCB had signed the New Zealand seamer for his base price...