Sunrisers Hyderabad crushed Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs after Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen powered SRH to 255/4 in IPL 2026.
Sunrisers Hyderabad's Ishan Kishan, Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain celebrate after the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Devdutt Padikkal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad district of Telangana on Friday, May 22, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
Sunrisers Hyderabad produced another batting spectacle in IPL 2026 as explosive half-centuries from Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen powered them to a commanding 55-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday.
Despite the defeat, RCB still sealed a top-two finish and ended the league stage at the top of the IPL 2026 points table after managing to cross the qualification threshold during the chase.
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Batting first on a flat Hyderabad surface, SRH unleashed complete carnage from the outset and hammered a massive 255/4 in 20 overs.
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Openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma immediately put RCB under pressure with a fearless powerplay assault, adding 45 runs inside the first four overs. Head smashed 26 off 16 before falling to Rasikh Salam, but Abhishek continued the destruction.
The left-hander tore into the RCB attack with a breathtaking 56 off just 22 balls, smashing four boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate above 250. By the time Suyash Sharma dismissed him in the ninth over, SRH had already surged to 97 and looked set for a gigantic total.
The innings then belonged to Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen.
Kishan blended timing and power beautifully during his 79 off 46 deliveries, striking eight fours and three sixes while keeping the scoring rate soaring through the middle overs.
At the other end, Klaasen once again showcased why he remains one of the most feared T20 finishers in world cricket. The South African batter hammered 51 off only 24 balls, including five towering sixes, as SRH dismantled RCB’s bowling attack.
The duo added crucial momentum before Krunal Pandya finally removed Klaasen in the 17th over. However, there was still no relief for Bengaluru.
Nitish Kumar Reddy provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 29 off 12 balls as Hyderabad smashed 66 runs in the final five overs to finish with one of the highest totals of the season.
It proved to be a brutal evening for RCB’s bowlers, with every bowler conceding at more than 12 runs an over. Rasikh Salam was the pick of the attack with 2/52, while experienced pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood leaked 51 and 55 runs respectively.
Chasing an intimidating target of 256, RCB started aggressively through Venkatesh Iyer, who blasted 44 off just 19 balls to keep the visitors in the hunt early on.
However, regular wickets prevented them from mounting a serious challenge despite captain Rajat Patidar fighting hard with a composed 56 off 39 deliveries.
Virat Kohli departed cheaply for 15, while Devdutt Padikkal failed to convert his start after making 21.
With the required target for securing a top-two finish becoming the primary focus, Krunal Pandya played a crucial unbeaten knock of 41 off 31 balls, while Tim David’s late cameo ensured RCB reached 200/4 in their 20 overs.
Although Bengaluru fell 55 runs short, the final total was enough to preserve their superior net run rate and confirm first place in the standings ahead of Gujarat Titans.
The result means RCB will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, while SRH finish third and head into the Eliminator despite ending the league stage level on 18 points.
SRH captain Pat Cummins: “I think it’s a long shot finishing top two, but we just want to give it a crack. Want the boys to enjoy tonight.”
RCB captain Rajat Patidar: “Happy to be back. The boys have played really good cricket throughout the tournament, and hopefully we continue the momentum tonight.”
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, R Smaran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (capt), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
Impact substitutes: Aniket Verma, Praful Hinge, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood
Impact substitutes: Tim David, Kanishk Chouhan, Swapnil Singh, Abhinandan Singh, Jordan Cox.
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