RCB battle SRH with top-two finish on the line:Bengaluru beat Hyderabad 3 times in last 5 matches, Kohli vs Cummins in spotlight

With playoffs spots already secured, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad will turn their attention to finishing in the top two spots on the IPL 2026 points table when they clash against each other on 22 May. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad will see a clash between two of the most impressive teams this season. A win for RCB will see them get to 20 points, which in turn will seal a top-two finish. SRH, on the other hand, will boost their hopes of finishing in the top two spots with a victory. For the unversed, a top-two finish guarantees teams not one but two chances at making it to the final. RCB were the first team to qualify for the playoffs and they head into this clash on the back of an impressive win over Punjab Kings in a repeat of last edition’s final. Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, trumped the Chennai Super Kings in Chepauk to book a last-four berth. The last time these two teams faced each other was in the first match of the season, where RCB had emerged victorious at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The defending champions would look to do a double over SRH, while the Pat Cummins-led side will aim for redemption. SRH vs RCB, IPL 2026 Match Details Match: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, match 67
Date: 22 May, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM IST, toss at 7:00 PM
How to watch: Star Sports network (Telecasting), JioHotstar (Streaming)
Where to follow: Follow live updates from the match on the Bhaskar English app. SRH vs RCB head-to-head record Sunrisers Hyderabad have had an edge over RCB when it comes to head-to-head records in the IPL. The two teams have faced each other 27 times, with SRH winning 14 of those matches. RCB have had 12 wins so far. RCB have had the upper hand over SRH in the last five matches, winning three out of their last five matches. Veterans Virat, Bhuvneshwar leading the way for RCB Veterans Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have been the best performers for RCB this season. Virat has been the standout performer for the defending champions with the bat, hitting 542 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 164.74. Bhuvneshwar, on the other hand, is the highest wicket-taker of the league so far with 24 wickets in 13 matches, having an economy rate of just 7.70.
Klaasen, Eshan Malinga carrying SRH’s hopes Heinrich Klaasen has had a standout season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The wicketkeeper-batter has played a crucial middle-order role for the Orange Army, hitting 555 runs in 13 matches. In the bowling department, it has been Eshan Malinga who has emerged as the best. In 13 matches, the Sri Lankan fast bowler has picked up 17 wickets. Pat Cummins yet to dismiss Virat Kohli in IPL SRH skipper Pat Cummins has not yet dismissed Virat Kohli in the IPL. The duel between the two is set to be a mouth-watering one and could have a say in the outcome of this match. Cummins has bowled 32 balls to Virat in which the RCB legend has scored 48 runs. Kohli’s strike rate has been 150 against Cummins, with the SRH captain having an unimpressive economy of 9.00. Ishan Kishan dominant against Bhuvneshwar Kumar Ishan Kishan has been dominant against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IP. The SRH star has scored 77 runs off the 43 balls he has faced from the RCB pacer and batted with a strike rate of 179.06. Bhuvneshwar, on his part, has dismissed Kishan just once. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch report The track has been a high-scoring one and with two explosive teams facing each other, a game with big scores can be expected. The team that bats first will look to score in excess of 200 or 220 to feel safe. As the game progresses, the pitch might assist the bowlers. Hyderabad weather report On Friday evening, the weather in Hyderabad is expected to be 50% humid. There is a 3% chance of rain with the temperature expected to be 32° Celsius. With 48 km/h of wind gust, there is a dew point of 21°.