Defeat to Hyderabad dents Bengaluru’s hopes of top-two finish in IPL

By Canadian Press on May 23, 2025.

LUCKNOW, India (AP) — Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 94 off 48 balls helped Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru in its penultimate game of the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Kishan hit five sixes and seven fours as Hyderabad notched up a huge 231-6.

In reply, Bengaluru was bowled out for 189 in 19.5 overs, a defeat that dents its chances of finishing in the top two of the table.

Bengaluru has already qualified for the knockouts and sits third. While it still has a game in hand, Bengaluru is dependent on Punjab Kings’ final two results for a top-two finish, which holds advantage in the knockouts.

Hyderabad has already been eliminated from contention but managed to register its fifth win in 13 games.

Opting to bowl, Bengaluru was hit by a quick start from the Hyderabad openers. Abhishek Sharma scored 34 off 17 balls and put on 54 off 24 balls with Travis Head.

Hyderabad was pegged back to 54-2 in 4.2 overs — both openers were dismissed in the space of three deliveries.

Kishan then took charge and smacked 50 off 28 with four fours and two sixes. He hit three more sixes and another three fours racing towards a second century of the season but ran out of balls to hit.

Cameos from Heinrich Klaasen (24 off 13) and Aniket Verma (26 off nine) — the duo hit five sixes — also steered Hyderabad past 200, including a whirlwind 43 off the last three overs.

Bengaluru started well. Phil Salt survived a no ball to score 63 off 32 balls and put on 80 off 43 balls with Virat Kohli.

Kohli scored 43 off 25 with seven fours and a six.

Salt reached 50 off 27 and overall hit five sixes and four fours. The openers put Bengaluru’s chase on track, but fortunes changed with Kohli’s dismissal in the seventh over.

Mayank Agarwal, in for the injured Devdutt Padikkal, was out for 11 and Rajat Patidar for 18.

Stand-in skipper Jitesh Sharma made 24 off 15, sharing 44 off 26 with Patidar, but the lower order couldn’t hold the momentum.

Bengaluru lost seven wickets for 16 runs across 25 balls.

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The Associated Press