Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) posted a commanding 42-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday at Lucknow, thanks to standout performances by bowlers Pat Cummins and Nitish Reddy.
Chasing a daunting target of 232 runs, RCB were bowled out for 189 in 19.5 overs. The defeat now places RCB third in the IPL 2025 points table with 17 points from 13 matches (8 wins, 4 losses, 1 no-result). SRH, on the other hand, remains eighth with 10 points (5 wins, 7 losses in 13 matches).
RCB’s chase began with an aggressive start by Virat Kohli and Philip Salt, reaching 72/0 by the end of the powerplay. Kohli scored 43 off 25 balls, including seven fours and a six, before falling to SRH’s impact player Harsh Dubey right after the powerplay.
Philip Salt marked his return from injury with a fluent 62 off 32 balls, but his dismissal by Pat Cummins turned the tide. Despite brief contributions from Rajat Patidar (18), Jitesh Sharma (24), and Krunal Pandya, RCB’s middle and lower order collapsed under pressure.
Pat Cummins led SRH’s bowling attack with figures of 3/28, while Eshan Malinga chipped in with two wickets and a crucial run-out. All other bowlers took a wicket each, showcasing a collective team effort. Cummins’ 19th over sealed the game, with two wickets falling in that over.
Earlier, SRH posted an imposing 231/6 in their 20 overs after being put to bat. Ishan Kishan starred with a stunning 94 off 48 balls*, supported by a quickfire 34 from Abhishek Sharma and a 26-run cameo by Aniket Verma.
RCB’s bowling saw Romario Shepherd emerge as the best performer with 2/14, while Lungi Ngidi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, and Krunal Pandya took one wicket each.
RCB stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma had won the toss and opted to bowl first. However, SRH’s batters made the most of the opportunity, scoring at over 11 runs per over consistently and putting the RCB bowlers under constant pressure.
This thrilling encounter added another exciting chapter to IPL 2025 as the playoff race intensifies.