New Delhi: Chasing down totals in excess of 220 has become normalised in the 2026 Indian Premier League but Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling display – led by Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain – ensured that it wasn’t the case against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Even though SRH won by 55 runs, RCB went back as the happier team. With their qualifications already locked in before this match, this match was crucial in determining where they finish in the standings.
The target was 256 but RCB needed just 166 runs to secure a top-two finish and over 178 to top the league. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad needed to win by 90 runs to ensure they finish in the top-two.
RCB started off with almost surgical precision, topped with aggression. Despite the absence of Jacob Bethell or Phil Salt, RCB teed off in commanding fashion with Venkatesh Iyer opening alongside Virat Kohli. The duo stitched a quickfire 60-run partnership with Iyer being the aggressor, slamming a 19-ball 44 in his first innings opening for RCB.
RCB were well on track with 75 runs in the Powerplay but two quick wickets derailed them. Sakib Hussain (1/31) once struck with the big wicket of Kohli in the powerplay. RCB’s innings just did not find the same rhythm after that.
After some brisk scoring, Devdutt Padikkal (21) was dismissed by Eshan Malinga (2/33), which essentially pegged RCB back. The pitch that looked like a road earlier seemed to have slowed down but SRH’s bowlers’ excellent execution ensured Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya struggled for flow and boundaries.
However, Patidar’s half-century and a gritty innings from Krunal Pandya took them past 166, ensuring they finished as the table-toppers. Pandya and Tim David finished with some hits towards the end to take them to 200/4.
Earlier, Ishan Kishan who has developed a kind of liking to Royal Challengers Bengaluru — he has scored the most runs against RCB and his last three innings against them read 80 (38), 94* (48) and 69 (34) – continued his hot streak with a 46-ball 79.
The pitch started out as a batting paradise and so bowlers were expected to have a tough day and even the almost-always effective Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/51) and Josh Hazlewood (0/55) had a forgettable day in the office. Failing to achieve a breakthrough during the Powerplay ultimately hurt them in the match.
SRH were brutal with the bat, their rampaging trio—Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Kishan—all scored fifties to post a huge total of 255/4. After a few quick boundaries, Travis Head (26) departed early but Sharma combined with Kishan to add 52 runs for the second wicket. Sharma was dropped thrice and registered his fifty off 20 balls.
It’s not often that Hazlewood gets taken down in the kind of fashion that Klaasen did in the 13th over. With three sixes and a four, the Australian pacer was hit for 27 runs. Between overs 10-15, the innings run-rate kept soaring as Kishan and Klaasen dismantled the two and Rasikh Salam (2/52).
Klaasen reached his fifty in 23 balls and stitched a 113-run partnership off just 48 balls alongside Kishan. RCB pulled things back well, conceding only 17 runs off the last two overs but it wasn’t enough to ensure a win for RCB.
This leaves the race open for Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. If PBKS win against LSG on Saturday, they would be hoping for RR to lose to MI and KKR to lose to DC on Sunday.
