Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) suffered a 55-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) during their IPL 2026 encounter in Hyderabad on Friday, yet managed to accomplish enough to clinch a top-two position while preventing SRH from doing the same. Choosing to bat first, SRH posted an impressive 255/4 in their 20 overs, powered by Ishan Kishan’s 79, complemented by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 22-ball 56 and Heinrich Klaasen’s rapid 24-ball 51. RCB only required 166 runs to guarantee their top-two placement, achieving this target through Rajat Patidar’s half-century and valuable contributions from Venkatesh Iyer (44) and Krunal Pandya (41*). This outcome sets up RCB’s clash with Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, while SRH must wait to discover their Eliminator opponent. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Reaches Number One Spot Despite a match defeat to SRH .
TOSS
Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and elected to bat first.
PLAYING XI
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI):
Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma(w), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI):
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
SRH’s opening partnership soared on a batting-friendly surface aided by some sloppy fielding. Pat Cummins placed responsibility on his batsmen after opting to bat, and the Abhishek-Travis Head combination delivered spectacularly. Even against two of the tournament’s premier bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood – they found boundaries effortlessly. Rasikh Salam dismissed Head with a precise off-stump yorker and nearly claimed Abhishek with a deceptive slower delivery, but Venkatesh Iyer’s dropped catch at deep square leg provided a reprieve. While Abhishek’s six off Bhuvneshwar in the first over remained the Powerplay’s only maximum, he unleashed fury on Suyash Sharma and Romario Shepherd during the seventh and eighth overs, smashing two sixes off each to reach his fifty in just 20 balls. Two of those sixes presented catching chances that RCB couldn’t capitalize on.
Rajat Patidar persisted with Suyash Sharma, and the leg-spinner delivered a well-flighted googly that induced another mistimed shot from Abhishek. This attempt found substitute fielder Jordan Cox at long-on.
The South African began cautiously until encountering Hazlewood. Though RCB appeared to regain some control when Romario Shepherd bowled an economical five-run over, Klaasen compensated magnificently against the Australian speedster in the 13th over. Hazlewood started with an attempted yorker that Klaasen demolished after clearing his front leg. The bowler followed with an uncharacteristic slot ball that Klaasen dispatched into the midwicket stands. Despite Hazlewood seemingly executing a perfect wide yorker, Klaasen held his position and carved it behind point for four. A full toss concluded the carnage, sent for another six to complete a 27-run over – Hazlewood’s most expensive in T20 cricket. Against Bhuvneshwar in the 15th over, Klaasen cleared extra cover to surpass 600 runs for the season.
This was one of those evenings – and surfaces – where every batsman could produce moments of brilliance. Alongside Klaasen, the No.3 batsman also attacked the bowling, collecting sixes off Suyash and Krunal Pandya early before proving effective against Bhuvneshwar. He reached his half-century in 31 deliveries and batted through to the final ball. He gathered one six and two boundaries off Rasikh Dar during the death overs, and despite showing signs of fatigue, concluded with 79 off 46 balls.
How could any bowling attack supposedly recover at the death yet still concede 255? Only on this Hyderabad surface. Although Nitish Reddy emerged swinging freely for an unbeaten 13-ball 29*, merely 17 runs came from the final 12 deliveries bowled by Bhuvneshwar and Rasikh.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU
RCB’s expensive acquisition discovered an unexpected opportunity atop the order with Jacob Bethell injured and Phil Salt still regaining match fitness. He maximized this chance on the batting-friendly pitch, kickstarting RCB’s pursuit with a brisk 19-ball 44. The towering left-hander attacked Pat Cummins aggressively before targeting left-arm wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar, who was entrusted with the fourth over. Venkatesh plundered three sixes and a boundary in a devastating 23-run over that brought up RCB’s fifty within four overs. His innings ended in the fourth over when he mistimed a short delivery from Eshan Malinga to Ishan Kishan at deep midwicket.
Sakib Hussain demonstrated the blueprint. He delivered six consecutive cutters in the sixth over, conceding only four singles while dismissing Virat Kohli, who struck a wide delivery straight to cover. Impact substitute Harshal Patel replaced Praful Hinge and also began with cutters. Eshan Malinga adopted the same approach and removed Devdutt Padikkal, who picked out the deep square leg fielder.
Despite SRH’s massive target, RCB only needed 166 for a top-two finish. They essentially batted to those requirements, avoiding unnecessary risks after reaching 100 at the halfway point. Cummins deployed all his attacking resources against RCB, but his bowlers couldn’t take wickets to create pressure. Compounding SRH’s frustration, Cummins dropped a simple chance in the 16th over off Malinga’s bowling. In the 17th over against the SRH skipper, RCB surpassed 166 to secure their top-two position and arrange a Qualifier 1 meeting with Gujarat Titans. SRH’s Harshal gambit proved unsuccessful as he struggled with his line and length, finishing his rare appearance this season with figures of 0-37.
Off-spinner Travis Head removed the RCB captain with a poor long-hop in the 18th over. Krunal Pandya and Tim David guided RCB to exactly 200, handing SRH a 55-run triumph and third place.
Brief Scores:
Sunrisers Hyderabad 255/4 [Ishan Kishan 79 (46), Abhishek Sharma 56 (22), Heinrich Klaasen 51 (24), Nitish Reddy 29* (12)] defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru 200/4 in 20 overs [Venkatesh Iyer 44 (19), Rajat Patidar 56 (39), Krunal Pandya 41* (31); Eshan Malinga 2-33] by 55 runs.
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