SRH crush RCB by 55 runs after Kishan’s 79

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs in Match 67 of the Indian Premier League, powered by Ishan Kishan’s superb 79 off 46 balls and a blazing top-order assault that carried SRH to 255/4 before their bowlers kept RCB to 200/4. The win continued Hyderabad’s strong late-season surge and handed Bengaluru a heavy setback with the league phase nearing its finish.

In a tournament that has repeatedly produced high-scoring nights, SRH delivered one of the most emphatic batting displays of the season. Abhishek Sharma set the tone immediately with 56 from just 22 balls, striking four fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 254.5. Travis Head was equally aggressive early, making 26 off 16 with five boundaries, and together they gave Hyderabad the kind of start that put RCB’s attack under pressure from the outset.

Once the platform was built, Kishan took over. His 79 off 46 balls, studded with eight fours and three sixes, gave the innings both substance and tempo. He kept the scoring rate soaring through the middle overs and ensured there was no slowdown after the Powerplay. Heinrich Klaasen then produced another trademark counterattack, hammering 51 off 24 balls with two fours and five sixes, while Nitish Kumar Reddy added a fierce finishing touch with 29 off 12, including three sixes. From 82 in the opening stand to the late surge provided by Klaasen and Reddy, SRH’s innings never allowed RCB to regain control.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s bowlers endured a bruising evening. Rasikh Salam picked up 2/52 in his four overs, while Krunal Pandya returned 1/24 in two and Suyash Sharma claimed 1/36 in three. But the standout number from an RCB perspective was the punishment absorbed by their senior quicks: Bhuvneshwar Kumar went wicketless for 51 in four overs and Josh Hazlewood finished with 0/55 in four as Hyderabad plundered 255.

Chasing 256 required an extraordinary response, and RCB briefly threatened one through Venkatesh Iyer’s explosive 44 off 19 balls. With four fours and four sixes, he gave the pursuit early momentum. But Virat Kohli fell for 15 off 11, and though Devdutt Padikkal struck 21 off 14, the asking rate remained relentlessly high. RCB reached 200/4, a total that would be highly competitive in most T20 matches, but it still left them 55 short.

Rajat Patidar fought hard for 56 off 39 balls, hitting six fours and a six, and Krunal Pandya added 41 off 31 in a stand that kept the scoreboard moving without quite shifting the pressure back on SRH. Tim David’s late 15 off seven added some final thrust, but Hyderabad had done too much damage with the bat. The decisive moments in the chase came in the middle overs, where RCB could not convert promising starts into the kind of sustained assault needed to hunt down 255.

SRH’s bowling figures reflected the challenge of defending on a batting-friendly surface, but there were still key contributions. Eshan Malinga was the pick with 2/33 in four overs, the best analysis of the match, while Sakib Hussain’s 1/31 in four helped stem the flow. Travis Head also chipped in with 1/7 from his lone over. Pat Cummins went for 48 in four, but Hyderabad could afford expensive overs because the target was so imposing.

Key performers

• Ishan Kishan (SRH): 79 off 46 balls, with 8 fours and 3 sixes
• Abhishek Sharma (SRH): 56 off 22 balls, with 4 fours and 5 sixes
• Heinrich Klaasen (SRH): 51 off 24 balls, with 2 fours and 5 sixes
• Rajat Patidar (RCB): 56 off 39 balls
• Eshan Malinga (SRH): 2/33 in 4 overs
• Rasikh Salam (RCB): 2/52 in 4 overs

NerdSports Stat: RCB made 200/4 and still lost by 55 runs — they scored at 10 runs an over for the full chase, yet finished nowhere near the target because SRH had already blasted 255/4 at 12.75 an over.

This result extends the IPL league phase rather than deciding anything outright, with Match 67 of 70 now completed. Hyderabad added another win to a season already marked by several commanding results, including victories by 65, 57, 47 and 33 runs earlier in the campaign, while Bengaluru’s run of strong results took a major hit this close to the finish. There are still three matches left in the league stage: Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings on Saturday, May 23, followed by Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals on Sunday, May 24.

For SRH, this was a reminder of why their batting unit has been one of the most feared in the tournament. Abhishek Sharma arrived with 452 runs at a strike rate of 205.4 across 10 matches, Heinrich Klaasen with 410 runs at 158.9, and both underlined that form again here. For RCB, Virat Kohli had entered the match with 413 runs at 160.7 in 10 matches, but Hyderabad kept him quiet and made sure the chase never truly caught fire beyond isolated bursts.

Above all, this was Kishan’s night. His innings provided the control between the early chaos created by Abhishek and Head and the late demolition from Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy. On a night when 455 runs were scored across 40 overs, that balance was priceless, and it earned him the Player of the Match award.

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