Hyderabad: In their final league match of the IPL 2026 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) faced a substantial defeat, losing by 55 runs to Sunrisers Hyderabad. RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, had a challenging outing, compounded by a lackluster bowling performance and multiple dropped catches.
Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat first, displaying dominance from the onset. Abhishek Sharma contributed significantly, scoring 56 runs off 22 balls. Following his explosive innings, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen accelerated the scoring. Kishan amassed 79 runs off 46 deliveries, while Klaasen added 51 runs from 24 balls. The duo forged a partnership of 113 runs, which effectively sidelined RCB during the mid-innings period. Nitish Kumar Reddy later provided a noteworthy cameo, scoring 29 runs off 12 balls, leading Hyderabad to a total of 255 runs in their first innings.
RCB’s bowlers, particularly Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, struggled, finishing wicketless and each conceding over 50 runs in their four-over spells, reflecting the broader issues faced by the team throughout the match.
What transpired in the second innings?
In the second innings, Hyderabad’s bowlers maintained their pressure. With Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell absent, Venkatesh Iyer opened the batting and delivered a brisk performance, scoring 44 runs off 19 balls. However, RCB’s batting lineup could not sustain the momentum. Star player Virat Kohli managed only 15 runs, and Devdutt Padikkal contributed 21 runs. At number four, Patidar made a solid 56 runs off 39 balls before being dismissed by Travis Head in the 19th over.
As a result, RCB faced a heavy defeat, which may impact their confidence moving forward. Despite the loss, the team secured a top position in the table, granting them an opportunity to advance to the final. RCB will next face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1.
