Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosted Sunrisers Hyderabad to kick off IPL 2026. The two teams will now play each other again, this time in Hyderabad, to complete their league stage. The reigning champions, RCB, started the season with a victory and are virtually certain to finish in the top two as they aim to capture two titles in a row.
While SRH is also guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, they are aware that a significant victory today may put them in the top two. In their final game of the season, they will also want to give their home crowd a strong performance.
It should be an intriguing match because there are two strong teams.
Players to keep an eye on: Abhishek Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar represented SRH for eleven seasons. He won the Purple Cap with them in 2016—the year SRH won the IPL—and 2017. He continues to hold a commanding lead in SRH's all-time wicket records (157). Bhuvneshwar is back in Hyderabad, and at a place he is familiar with as a member of the opposition squad. Despite being 36 years old, he continues to dominate the wickets columns, get the new ball to talk, and deliver the last yorkers. With 24 wickets, he leads the Purple Cap standings, and his economy rates of 6.71 during the powerplay and 8.8 during the final stages are particularly noteworthy.
Bhuvneshwar's former SRH teammate Abhishek Sharma will have to take him on the power play. Another strong IPL season is being enjoyed by the daring opener. With 507 runs in 13 innings and three fifties and a century this season, he ranks eighth on the Orange Cap list. Again, his strike rate of 201.99 is the standout, and SRH will rely on him to perform well against a strong bowling attack from RCB.
The Yorker Kings, or RCB?
One of the key components of RCB's successful league stage campaign has been their ability to bowl yorkers. At the end, Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are both content to use yorkers. Initially, Rasikh Salam was a yorker bowler.
According to analyst and writer Himanish Ganjoo's stats, it is therefore not surprising that the RCB quicks have hit 54 yorkers at the end of the game, more than any other side this season. RCB's fast bowlers are the only ones who have delivered more yorkers at the end than the Chennai Super Kings.
The stakes are at an all-time high!
The only team to win the IPL in 2016 despite placing outside of the top two is SRH.
You can see from the following statistic how crucial it is to be placed in the top two. To take second place, SRH must either win by 87–88 runs or chase targets in the 12th over. RCB will fall to No. 3 and out of the top two as a result!
At the huddle, Phil Salt, who has returned to the RCB camp, is delivering the motivational speech. Is he going to play? Given that he only returned to India overnight, it will be a significant decision.
Michael Clarke: "An absolute belter"
It won't spin much at the pitch report, in his opinion. It also has some grass on it. There are tonnes of runs available tonight.
The club batting first has won four of the six games this season. It's interesting to note that in five of the six games, the toss choice has been to chase.
Toss: RCB vs. SRH bat first
When playing Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad choose to bat.
In their final home game, Sunrisers Hyderabad will score against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, according to captain Pat Cummins.
SRH, who are presently in third place and guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, are hoping for a significant victory to place in the top two. They must defeat RCB by 83-89 runs, depending on their final total.
The current league leaders, RCB, will drop from No. 1 to No. 3 if SRH does it. RCB will top the table at the end of the IPL 2026 league stage if they win. Regardless of tonight's outcome, the Gujarat Titans, who are presently in second place, are guaranteed a spot in the top two.
Cummins remarked, "It's a long shot getting to the top two, but we'll give it a crack tonight," at the toss. They are using the same lineup from their most recent game, he said.
One alteration was made by RCB, with Rajat Patidar taking Jacob Bethell's place. The captain of the RCB, Patidar, said that Bethell had suffered a finger injury. Venkatesh Iyer was scheduled to start alongside Virat Kohli on the RCB squad sheet.
Regarding the significance of the match, Patidar stated: "I don't think it matters where you are on the points table." You must uphold your standards in every game you play.
Four of the six home games played in Hyderabad this season have been won by the team batting first.
SRH bati-first XI 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Travis Head, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 Salil Arora, 6 R Smaran, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Shivang Kumar, 10 Eshan Malinga, 11 Sakib Hussain
Impact options: Aniket Verma, Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel
RCB field-first XI 1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Devdutt Padikkal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Rasikh Salam, 10 Suyash Sharma, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Impact options: Tim David, Kanishk Chouhan, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox
One of the top power-play hitters is Abhishek
The IPL 2026 powerplay stats of Abhishek Sharma are among the finest.
With a strike rate of 220 (#3), a boundary percentage of 87% (#2), and a control percentage of 78% (#2), he has amassed 343 powerplay runs (rank #2). He is one of the few batters who can manage his strokeplay and find limits while dominating every major powerplay indication.
With every season that has gone by, his strike rate in balls 11–20 has increased dramatically: 188 in 2024, 200 in 2025, and now 253 in 2026. Abhishek tees off instead of stabilising and building on after ten balls like other top hitters do. Additionally, he has conquered his spin issues, which posed a significant challenge during the T20 World Cup.
With a strike percentage of 270 and 21% of all deliveries faced, the cover drive continues to be his go-to scoring option. Both the on drive (SR 317) and off drive (SR 275) demonstrate his supremacy straight down the ground. Will RCB use the short stuff to test him?
Bhuvneshwar goes back to his old home
After taking the new ball, Bhuvneshwar must be in high spirits. In addition to being this season's top wicket-taker with 24, he is also Hyderabad's bowling king.
He was a bowler for the SRH, and no one has been more successful here than him.
Bhuvneshwar's number of wickets in Hyderabad. Amit Mishra (30), Rashid Khan (28), and Dale Steyn (27) are behind him.
Dale Steyn (27), Rashid Khan (28), and Amit Mishra (30) are behind him.
However, he's started tonight off poorly. Through the cover, Head creams him. Abhishek beats him for a long time. Though not dangerously, the ball is swinging. After one over, SRH 13/0.
Rasikh silences Head in the blockbuster fourth over
Josh Hazlewood is replaced by Rasikh Salam, who chooses to bowl the fourth over from around the wicket. Rasikh had the final laugh despite Head's bat hitting three of the first four deliveries as boundaries.
An attempt at a full toss on the fourth ball of the over turned into a low full toss, which was hit for four. A quick yorker that lands at the base of off stump is the final ball of the over. Rasikh rejoices when Head misses.
4 4 0 4 0 W
RCB scores their first goal after he is dismissed for a 16-ball 26. In four overs, SRH 45/1.
Kishan enjoys batting against RCB
Kishan's favourite team to score runs against is RCB, where he has scored 558 runs in his career. His final three innings against RCB were actually 80 (38), 94* (48), and 69 (34).
This innings, he has five scores of fifty or more. Will he keep up his winning record against RCB?
After 4.5 overs, SRH reach their fifty. After five overs, Hazlewood bowls a fifth over without a boundary, leaving SRH at 52/1.
Kohli has the most IPL caps ever
Kohli has made 281 appearances. Although Rohit Sharma (280) momentarily took the lead, Kohli will undoubtedly complete IPL 2026 at the top of this statistics chart, given the current state of the points table.
Today, Kohli has been great on the field. In the second over, he stopped a powerful shot inside the circle. Then, in the sixth, diving to stop a boundary.
Additionally, the powerplay is completed: SRH 63/1 in six. It's also time for the strategic pause.
Abhishek scores 56 in 22 and takes three lives
5.4 - Venkatesh Iyer dropped it on 25 at deep square leg; it was a difficult but manageable catch. The bowler, Rasikh.
6.4 - Jordan Cox dropped on 32 (now 38). Jordan Cox's foot clipped the boundary edging while attempting to take a rebound catch close to the ropes after Abhishek mishit a Suyash googly to wide long-off.
7.1 - Devdutt Padikkal dropped on 39, making it 45. He attempts to strike Shepherd over the head, but he chooses timing over force. Padikkal's hands are over his head as he attempts to capture the ball, but it breaks through.
He will harm you if you give him so many opportunities. Flicks Shepherd over deep backwards square leg to reach his half-century in 20 balls. Just as he was given a reprieve, he ultimately falls to Suyash in the tenth over. captured by Cox while on vacation. Klaasen joins Kishan as SRH 97/2 in 8.2 overs.
Kishan's greatest IPL season, with 517* and counting
Kishan's previous best was 516 in the 2020 IPL, but he has now had his best season, thanks to five scores of 50 or more. He got out to a poor start of nine in ten balls tonight, but he quickly accelerated to 33 off 21.
By tonking left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya over cow corner (the longer side) to welcome the bowler into the attack in the eleventh over, Kishan raises his total to 113/2 in ten overs at the halfway point.
Based on the current circumstances, ESPNcricinfo's forecaster predicts that SRH will reach 223 in 20. Recall that to finish in the top two, SRH must win by 83–89 runs, depending on their final score.
Hazlewood is defeated by Klaasen!
Even if your name is Josh Hazlewood, a batter with Klaasen's form will beat you if you miss your length on this surface.
Hazlewood's lengthy and costly thirteenth over, which included two sixes over long-on and one over deep midwicket. It is now a 27-run over. Additionally, it marks SRH's greatest performance of the season.
From 5 off 9 balls to 27 off 13, Klaasen accelerates. In this over, Hazlewood frequently misses his mark. Does pressure accomplish that? SRH 156/2 in 13
Kishan's sixth IPL 50+ score in 2026
Kishan's final three scores against RCB were 69 (34), 94* (48), and 80 (38).
He adds to it today with a half-century off 31 balls and even more in mind. SRH 177/2 in 14.2 overs;
To stop this juggernaut from both ends, RCB needs a wicket as soon as possible.
Between overs 10 and 15, SRH goes crazy
Between overs 10 and 15, SRH goes 73 for no loss.
14.6
Unbeaten batters' run-rate between overs 10 and 15, Klaasen and Kishan
Bhuvi and Hazlewood are playing at economies of 14.33 and 14.00, respectively, with one over remaining. Rasikh Salam is also in his 14s.
In just 48 balls, Kishan's six-four combo to begin the 16th over also raises the hundred partnership!
Klaasen sets new batting records
As Kishan and Klaasen calmly destroy Rasikh's 16th over by manipulating his bowling strategy, the innings' run-rate continues to climb. They remove twenty.
Klaasen also sets a personal record for season runs in the IPL and achieves his fifty in 23 balls. Given that he bats at No. 4 or lower, he is remarkably close to the top two. Additionally, he is the only player in a T20 event to score 600 or more runs while batting at No. 4 or below.
Eventually, a faster ball from the low-arm release foxes Klaasen, causing him to fall to Krunal Pandya. He was removed by a spinner for the second time this season after being taken at wide long on.
Nitish Kumar Reddy knocks his first two legal balls off Krunal for sixes, and despite SRH's 210/3 after 16.2 overs, the juggernaut continues!
Bhuvneshwar and Hazlewood were neutralised
The two senior pros' typical outings. To be fair, they haven't had much to contribute on the field, and some of the ground fielding hasn't helped them either. As Kishan's streaky boundary past a diving short fine-leg exacerbates RCB's problems in the penultimate over, Bhuvneshwar displays a little frustration.
Hazlewood: 4-0-55-0.
Bhuvneshwar: 4-0-51-0.
Total economy: 13.25.
SRH in 19 overs, 246/3
RCB needs 166 to remain in the top two, while SRH needs 255
RCB's bowlers did a respectable job, giving up just 17 runs in the final two overs. As a result, SRH finishes at 255 for 4, meaning that RCB needs to score 256 to win, but more crucially, they need to score at least 166 to guarantee that they remain in the top two even if the visitors lose in Hyderabad tonight.
What do you anticipate happening this evening? By the way, Kishan made 79 before falling off the last delivery of the 20th. Nitish Kumar Reddy's outstanding 12-ball undefeated 29. Remember that Klaasen and Abhishek both scored half-centuries.
The math has been decoded
SRH first, GT second, and RCB third if the RCB score is 153 or lower.
GT is first, SRH is second, and RCB is third if RCB scores between 154 and 165.
If RCB scores between 166 and 177, GT comes in first, RCB second, and SRH third.
RCB first, GT second, and SRH third if the RCB score is 178 or above.
You might think that placing first or second is the same, but in the unlikely event that qualifier 1 is eliminated, the team with the higher ranking advances to the final.
RCB has a promising start
Although he hasn't always been fluid, Venkatesh Iyer, who is opening for the first time this season in Jacob Bethell's absence, has started with some results. Even as Virat Kohli starts to settle down, he hares away to 21 in 11 balls.
In three overs, RCB scored 34/0.
RCB supporters have a voice!
RCB first, GT second, and SRH third if the RCB score is 178 or above.
You might think that placing first or second is the same, but in the unlikely event that qualifier 1 is eliminated, the team with the higher ranking advances to the final.
RCB has a promising start
Although he hasn't always been fluid, Venkatesh Iyer, who is opening for the first time this season in Jacob Bethell's absence, has started with some results. Even as Virat Kohli starts to settle down, he hares away to 21 in 11 balls.
In three overs, RCB scored 34/0.
RCB supporters have a voice!
Oh my, oh my. Venkatesh rushes to 44 in 18 balls after going wild in the fourth over.
RCB 57/0 in four overs after Shivang Kumar, who was given a difficult task during the powerplay, leaks 23.
6 4 0 6 6 1w 0
Sakib's ideal wicket: Virat
Tonight is not Kohli's day. In 11 balls, he falls for 15. The trick is a slower ball, and Kohli is unable to clear cover.
Sakib now owns the best streak among Indians, having taken at least one wicket in ten straight IPL games since his debut. Only Ben Hilfenhaus (13) and Lungi Ngidi (13) are ahead of him.
However, Rajat Patidar's nine runs off his first five deliveries and Devdutt Padikkal's quick scoring of 19 off his first nine balls put RCB on track for both the chase of 256 and 166, the score required to secure a top-two spot.
In 7.2 overs, RCB 89/2
Super Malinga believes that RCB will
SRH has a perfect record when Eshan Malinga takes two or more wickets.
By getting Devdutt Padikkal to holing out in the deep on the leg side, Malinga has earned a second. He is now back in the top five for the purple cap.
RCB is on track to surpass 166 with 94/3 in nine overs, but the hope of pursuing 256 is fading.
Without a doubt, SRH will continue to attack for wickets. If RCB surpasses 166, they will finish third regardless of the outcome.
RCB first, GT second, and SRH third are guaranteed
Although there is still much cricket to be played, they have surpassed 166 thanks to an enterprising half-century from Rajat Patidar and a fierce innings from Krunal Pandya. Regardless of the outcome tonight, the top players will continue to be the top players.
Despite being the team that is winning tonight, the SRH's shoulders drop. SRH's net run rate was severely damaged by GT's 86 all out, which also increased their opponents' net run rate.
In 17 overs, RCB 168/3.
RCB is the happier side, but SRH wins
Even though Sunrisers Hyderabad prevailed, it didn't seem like a victory. Even if the Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost, it didn't seem that way. In summary, despite losing by 55 runs, RCB managed to earn a top-two finish in Hyderabad on Friday night. SRH finished third.
SRH scored an incredible 255 because of two half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, and Ishan Kishan, but they had to limit RCB to 166 or less to have a chance to move into the top two. Even though RCB ended the league stage with a loss, Rajat Patidar's 56, Venkatesh Iyer's 44, and Krunal Pandya's undefeated 41 made sure there were no blushes.
RCB 57/0 in four overs after Shivang Kumar, who was given a difficult task during the powerplay, leaks 23.
6 4 0 6 6 1w 0
Sakib's ideal wicket: Virat
Tonight is not Kohli's day. In 11 balls, he falls for 15. The trick is a slower ball, and Kohli is unable to clear cover.
Sakib now owns the best streak among Indians, having taken at least one wicket in ten straight IPL games since his debut. Only Ben Hilfenhaus (13) and Lungi Ngidi (13) are ahead of him.
However, Rajat Patidar's nine runs off his first five deliveries and Devdutt Padikkal's quick scoring of 19 off his first nine balls put RCB on track for both the chase of 256 and 166, the score required to secure a top-two spot.
In 7.2 overs, RCB 89/2
Super Malinga believes that RCB will
SRH has a perfect record when Eshan Malinga takes two or more wickets.
By getting Devdutt Padikkal to holing out in the deep on the leg side, Malinga has earned a second. He is now back in the top five for the purple cap.
RCB is on track to surpass 166 with 94/3 in nine overs, but the hope of pursuing 256 is fading.
Without a doubt, SRH will continue to attack for wickets. If RCB surpasses 166, they will finish third regardless of the outcome.
RCB first, GT second, and SRH third are guaranteed
Although there is still much cricket to be played, they have surpassed 166 thanks to an enterprising half-century from Rajat Patidar and a fierce innings from Krunal Pandya. Regardless of the outcome tonight, the top players will continue to be the top players.
Despite being the team that is winning tonight, the SRH's shoulders drop. SRH's net run rate was severely damaged by GT's 86 all out, which also increased their opponents' net run rate.
In 17 overs, RCB 168/3.
RCB is the happier side, but SRH wins
Even though Sunrisers Hyderabad prevailed, it didn't seem like a victory. Even if the Royal Challengers Bengaluru lost, it didn't seem that way. In summary, despite losing by 55 runs, RCB managed to earn a top-two finish in Hyderabad on Friday night. SRH finished third.
SRH scored an incredible 255 because of two half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, and Ishan Kishan, but they had to limit RCB to 166 or less to have a chance to move into the top two. Even though RCB ended the league stage with a loss, Rajat Patidar's 56, Venkatesh Iyer's 44, and Krunal Pandya's undefeated 41 made sure there were no blushes.
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