Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 35 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, retaining their position at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table with four points.
This was RCB's second win in nine IPL matches, while SRH suffered their third defeat in eight games so far and their first in six matches.
RCB crossed the 200-run mark for the third consecutive match, setting a target of 207 for SRH to chase.
Virat Kohli (51), Rajat Patidar (50), and Cameron Green (37) were crucial for RCB's batting performance. For SRH, Jaydev Unadkat took three wickets, while T Natarajan claimed two.
RCB were effective in their defence, dismissing both of SRH's dangerous openers and Aiden Markram within the powerplay. Travis Head was out in the first over, followed by Abhishek Sharma in the fourth.
Markram fell in the fifth over to debutant Swapnil Singh, and SRH's batting mainstay Heinrich Klaasen was out on the last ball of that over. SRH lost four wickets in the powerplay for the first time this season.
The collapse continued as SRH batters, known for their big-hitting, struggled and perished. Karn Sharma dismissed Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad as the home side finished on171/8.
RR, KKR, SRH, and LSG currently occupy the top four positions. The top four teams will qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs. The top two teams will compete in the first Qualifier, with the winner advancing directly to the final.
The Eliminator will feature the teams placed third and fourth in the IPL 2024 standings. The winner of the Eliminator will face the losing team from Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 2 will proceed to the final, scheduled for May 26.
Kolkata Knight Riders will host Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday.