IPL 2026: Who is Abhinandan Singh? Meet RCB’s debutant who dismissed Virat Kohli twice
Uttar Pradesh pacer Abhinandan Singh made his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a remarkable rise from tennis-ball cricket just four years ago. His impressive intra-squad performances, including dismissing Virat Kohli, secured his spot amidst RCB's bowling challenges. This debut marks a significant moment for the young talent.
Abhinandan Singh has emerged as a new name in the Indian Premier League after being handed his debut by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2026 season opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The right-arm pacer from Uttar Pradesh has taken a quick rise in the game. Four years ago, he was playing tennis-ball cricket.
He is now part of RCB’s playing XI in one of the biggest matches of the season. The medium fast bowler proved to be impressive in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League where he claimed 15 wickets in 11 games while representing the Lucknow Falcons. Abhinandan had already impressed within the RCB camp before the season.
He dismissed Virat Kohli in both intra-squad practice matches, which brought him into contention for a spot in the XI. RCB’s pace attack has been affected by multiple absences. Josh Hazlewood is injured, while Yash Dayal has been ruled out of the season.
Nuwan Thushara is unavailable due to not receiving an NOC. This opened up a place alongside senior bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jacob Duffy. The match also marked the return of cricket to the venue after the stampede during RCB’s title celebrations last year that resulted in 11 deaths.