Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished at the top of the IPL 2026 points table, despite suffering a 55-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. SRH defended 255 at home to finish the league stages with 18 points, on level with RCB and GT, but their comparatively lower net run rate ended their Qualifier 1 hopes.
Chasing a mammoth 256-run target, the defending champions needed to score at least 165 runs to secure the top two spot. Venkatesh Iyer, hero in the previous game, gave RCB a flying start in the powerplay, and the returning captain Rajat Patidar scored a fifty, ensuring a Qualifier 1 clash against second-placed Gujarat Titans. Meanwhile, SRH, on the other hand, will play either RR, PBKS, KKR or DC in the Eliminator game in New Chandigarh on May 27.
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More updates to follow...
