That's a wrap for our coverage of the IPL 2026 clash between RCB and SRH. We now shift our focus to the battle for the final playoff spot, starting tomorrow, where Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) face playoff hopefuls Punjab Kings (PBKS).

What an IPL season this has been. RCB, GT and SRH all finish on 18 points, and the Top 2 is decided by net-run-rate. RCB end on +0.783, GT on +0.695 and SRH on +0.524! 

Now then, we move to the fight for the fourth spot, with 4 teams still vying for that 1 place.

VICTORY for SRH, but RCB will be the happier of the 2 sides. Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli and co. seal first spot in the IPL 2026 points table, despite losing by 55 runs. They've done the job they needed to do today. 

RCB 200/4 (20)
SRH beat RCB by 55 runs.

With the game all but over, Pat Cummins hands the ball to Travis Head in the 19th over. And guess what? He picks up a wicket! Rajat Patidar looks to go big, but gets caught at deep square-leg by Smaran Ravichandran.

Krunal Pandya slams a boundary, though. Can he get to a half-century? SRH have a win in the bag, as RCB need 71 off the final over.

RCB 185/4 (19)

RCB have done it! Rajat Patidar upper cuts it for 4 against Pat Cummins, and that boundary sees RCB reach the coveted 166-run mark for Top 2 qualification. Next over, Patidar takes a single and gets to his half-century in 37 balls!

RCB 170/3 (17.2)

Captain drops captain! Patidar slams it straight to Pat Cummins at cover, but the Australian drops the catch. The RCB skipper then slams it over fine-leg for 4, where Sakib Hussain misses another catch! Patidar then slams 4 more through the covers.

RCB 6 runs away from Top 2! Patidar is up to 43.

RCB 160/3 (16)

Another boundary for Rajat Patidar! The RCB captain flicks it for 4, one bounce into the fence, as Cummins hands the ball to Nitish Kumar Reddy. RCB now just 17 runs away from confirming their Top 2 spot.

The win seems out of the picture, though. 107 needed in the final 5 overs.

RCB 149/3 (15)

2 more boundaries! Krunal Pandya scoops it for 4 on the first ball of the 14th over, and then Rajat Patidar slams his second 4 with a lovely square-cut. RCB getting ever closer to securing Top 2!

RCB 139/3 (14)

Krunal Pandya continues his tidy knock, another boundary flicked down fine-leg. The decision to promote him to No. 5 has definitely worked and cooled things for RCB in the middle overs.

RCB need 29 more runs to secure Top 2.

RCB 127/3 (12)

Krunal Pandya slams it for 4! Another boundary for the left-hander, who is continuing his stabilizer-knock in the middle overs. RCB are now 45 runs away from Top 2!

RCB 121/3 (12)

First boundary for Krunal Pandya! He hammers it through long-off for 4, as Cummins bowls his third over of the evening. RCB look to be targetting the 166 now, and have clearly taken their foot of the gas when it comes to chasing 256.

RCB 112/3 (11)

10 overs done. RCB reach the 100-run mark. The defending champions need another 66 runs in the remaining 60 balls to ensure their spot in the Top 2.

RCB 100/3 (10)

Krunal Pandya receives a sharp short delivery from Malinga first ball, which is caught by the keeper. Malinga is convinced it's out, but the umpires hasn't given it. SRH take the DRS review, but UltraEdge shows no spike.

RCB 94/3 (9)

GONE! Devdutt Padikkal departs! He flicks it towards deep mid-wicket but straight to Abhishek Sharma! Is there a twist in store after RCB's third wicket? Krunal Pandya has been sent up at No. 5.

RCB 94/3 (8.5)

Rajat Patidar, that's classy! A lovely shot through the off-side to pick up his first boundary. Harshal Patel bowls his first over, having come on as the Impact Player. Decent over, but not what SRH need to keep their Top 2 hopes alive.

RCB 85/2 (7)

GONE! Huge wicket! It's Virat Kohli who has to walk back in the powerplay. Kohli slams a cover drive, but straight to the fielder in the circle. A huge moment for Sakib Hussain! 

RCB 75/2 (6)

Magnificent start by Padikkal! He comes in and guides it for 4 through third-man to open his account. Next ball is an even sweeeter hit, stands tall, picks the length perfectly and pulls it straight over deep square-leg for 6!

RCB 71/1 (5)

GONE! End of Venkatesh Iyer's flier. Eshan Malinga strikes in his second over. Venkatesh goes for a big hit again, but this time it doesn't come off the middle of the blade. Abhishek Sharma comes in from deep mid-wicket and completes the catch.

RCB 60/1 (4.3)

Venkatesh Iyer has gone absolutely berserk here! This is some special hitting. Shivang Kumar into the attack, Venkatesh Iyer sweeps him for 6 and 4, then rocks onto his back foot for 6 more, and clears long-on for the final 6. He is up to 44 off 18!

The player who once cost Rs 23.75 crore, now proving his worth at Rs 7 crore for RCB!

RCB 57/0 (4)

A nearly 10-minute wait for a DRS review for a wide. Cummins bowled one outside off-stump, Venkatesh left it thinking it was wide, but the umpire did not signal so. Venkatesh took the review, but then it was followed by a long, long wait for the technology to come up. 

Ultimately, it's not a wide. The original decision stays.

RCB 34/0 (3)

Virat Kohli into the party! 2 boundaries against Cummins, who is in to bowl his second over. First one through fine-leg, and it's 4 after Nitish Reddy makes a sloppy misfield. Next ball is flicked over mid-wicket for 4 more.

Then Venkatesh continues the charge, slamming 4 over extra cover!

RCB 33/0 (2.4)

This is a stylish start by Venkatesh Iyer! He shuffles across the crease and laps it for 4 against Pat Cummins, and then slices it over third-man for a big 6! 

RCB 14/0 (1)

RCB's chase is underway! Venkatesh Iyer is opening alongside Virat Kohli today. Kohli is 58 runs away from becoming the first batter in IPL history to score 600+ runs in 4 successive seasons.

If RCB are to win today, they'll have to script a record chase in their history. However, RCB need 166 to ensure a Top 2 finish. SRH need to win by 90 runs or more in order to leapfrog RCB.

A HUGE total on board for Sunrisers Hyderabad, they end on 255/4. Ishan Kishan departs on the final ball for 79, Rasikh Dar gets the wicket. But SRH have given themselves a decent chance of qualifying in the Top 2. 

SRH 255/4 (20)
RCB Target: 256

A rare wicketless day for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. 0/51 in 4 overs for the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. The likes of Abhishek, Kishan and Klaasen have played him brilliantly today.

SRH 246/3 (19)

Ishan Kishan slams 4, then hits it straight back towards the bowler but Hazlewood is unable to hold on! The Aussie pacer stretched his right arm, but could not grasp it properly. Nitish Reddy finishes the over with a terrific 6, lap shot!

Hazlewood wicketless today, he has conceded 55 in 4 overs.

SRH 238/3 (18)

GONE! Heinrich Klaasen departs! The South African is dismissed by Krunal Pandya. For once, he doesn't get good connection on the shot. The catch is taken by Venkatesh Iyer.

But Nitish Kumar Reddy makes a superb start! 2 maximums straight away!

SRH 225/3 (17)

Fifty for Heinrich Klaasen! The explosive South African gets to the milestone in just 23 balls. What a terrific knock, he has not spared any RCB bowler today. Sixth half-century of IPL 2026 for Klaasen.

SRH 209/2 (16)

Ishan Kishan is teeing off now! He slams Rasikh for 6 over deep mid-wicket, then laps it for 4 over fine-leg, and then 4 more with a sweep shot. And RCB wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma appears to be down with cramp!

200-run mark is up for SRH! 

SRH 204/2 (15.3)

WOW! Heinrich Klaasen is finding the gaps with easy. Perfect execution and placement to get 4 runs through the leg-side, and then a venomous hit over extra cover for 6. 

SRH 189/2 (15)

Half-century for Ishan Kishan! The left-hander slams a boundary against Bhuvneshwar Kumar through deep square-leg, and then takes a single to get to 50 off 31 balls. After a cautious start, he has accelerated beautifully!

SRH 180/2 (14.2)

The maximums keep coming! One for Klaasen and one for Kishan. The left-hander is into the 40s now, he'll be eyeing up a second successive half-century now.

SRH 171/2 (14)

Magnificent hitting from Heinrich Klaasen! He turns up the gears and hammers Josh Hazlewood for 3 maximums and a boundary. A terrific shot over deep mid-wicket for 6, then a 6 over long-on, then 4 through backward point, and then 6 more over long-on. 27 off the over!

150 comes up for SRH!

SRH 156/2 (13)

After 2 expensive overs, Romario Shepherd bowls an economical third over, and does not concede a single boundary. Looks like RCB are giving Shepherd a few overs ahead of the playoffs.

SRH 129/2 (12)

Great shot by Ishan Kishan! He slams it over mid-wicket against Krunal Pandya. After a slow start, Kishan is now steadily picking up pace. His strike-rate is over 150 now.

SRH 124/2 (11)

10 overs done, Sunrisers Hyderabad are set for a big score. Their openers gave them a brisk start, now it's up to Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen to build a big score.

SRH 116/2 (10)

100 up for SRH! After a slow start, Kishan finally gets a boundary away through mid-wicket. If they are to get a win of more than 86 runs today, then this is a good platform to build on. 

SRH 103/2 (9)

GONE! Abhishek Sharma's knock comes to an end! He looks to go big against Suyash again, but this he doesn't connect handsomely enough. This time, Jordan Cox is well within the ropes and holds on to the catch.

Abhishek departs for a fiery 56 off 22.

SRH 97/2 (8.2)

Half-century for Abhishek Sharma! He slams 2 straight sixes against Romario Shepherd to get to the milestone, and then slices the final ball of the over for 4 past third-man.

SRH 96/1 (8)

Abhishek Sharma targets Suyash Sharma, clearing long-off twice for 2 sixes! The second one was nearly caught at long-off by substitute fielder Jordan Cox, but he stepped on the boundary rope. Big let off!

SRH 77/1 (7)

End of the powerplay. SRH are off to a good start, going at 10.5 runs per over. Rare powerplay when Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Josh Hazlewood haven't managed to strike. Abhishek has started well -- he's on 26 off 14.

SRH 63/1 (6)

The 50-run mark comes up for SRH in the fifth over, after a fielding overthrow by RCB allows Abhishek and Kishan to sneak 3 runs. Virat Kohli was left fuming by that effort. Very next ball, Kohli puts in an excellent dive in the deep to save a sure-shot boundary! He shows how it's done!

SRH 52/1 (5)

3 boundaries and GONE! Travis Head deals in fours, slamming 3 in 4 balls as Rasikh Dar comes in to bowl the fourth over. But the uncapped pacer strikes back, nailing a yorker and knocking off his off-stump.

SRH 45/1 (4)

Abhishek Sharma is on a roll! The left-hander is taking full advantage of the field restrictions. All he has to do is clear the circle on the leg-side and he is guaranteed 4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, RCB's top wicket-taker this season, is under pressure early.

SRH 33/0 (3)

A tidy over from Josh Hazlewood is spoiled a little on the last ball as Travis Head slams 4 more over mid-wicket. Decent start here by SRH, but they haven't flown away. 

SRH 21/0 (2)

Great start by Sunrisers Hyderabad! Travis Head off the mark with a lovely square-cut, but Abhishek Sharma does even better by slamming Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 6 over long-off! 13 off the first over.

SRH 13/0 (1)

RCB are going with only 3 overseas players today. With Bethell missing out, they had the chance to bring in Jordan Cox or Jacob Duffy, but they haven't, instead persisting with Venkatesh Iyer and Rasikh Dar.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI vs SRH: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Salam Dar.

Jacob Bethell is out, Patidar is back in! Tim David is expected to be the Impact Player.

Sunrisers Hyderabad XI vs RCB: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain.

Same team for SRH. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and opt to bat! Pat Cummins wins the toss in SRH's final league game. As expected, they choose to bat. Cummins admits that Top 2 is a "long shot", but they'll give it a go by trying to put up a big total.

We are just about 10 minutes away from toss time at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Usually a high-scoring ground, it'll be interesting to see what the toss-winning captain decides to do.

If SRH win the toss, they're likely going to bat first, given their need for a big margin of victory.

Recently, SRH captain Pat Cummins spoke to NDTV in an exclusive interview. The Australian star talked about Ishan Kishan's captaincy, the message from SRH owners and facing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026. READ HERE

This match could be decided by the battle between RCB's pace attack and SRH's power-packed batting. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been arguably the best bowler of IPL 2026, while a different member of the SRH batting steps up and wins matches each game. 

RCB captain Rajat Patidar is set to return to action after missing their previous match. It was confirmed ahead of the game that Patidar would be back. It will be interesting to see who goes out, given the poor form of Jacob Bethell and the 'Player of the Match' performance by Venkatesh Iyer in the last match.

Here are the scenarios in which SRH can leapfrog RCB in NRR and clinch a Top 2 spot:

- Batting first: If SRH score 200 runs batting first, then they'll have to win by 87 runs or more.

- Batting second: If RCB score 180 batting first, then SRH will have to chase it down in 11 overs.

RCB talisman Virat Kohli is 58 runs away from becoming the first player to score 600+ runs in 4 consecutive IPL seasons. Currently, he has done it in 3 consecutive IPL seasons (2023, 2024, 2025). 

The others to do it are:

- Chris Gayle (2011, 2012, 2013)
- David Warner (2016, 2017, 2019)

- KL Rahul (2020, 2021, 2022)

Sunrisers Hyderabad have already sealed their spot in the playoffs but need to win by a massive margin in order to leapfrog RCB and enter the Top 2. Their NRR is +0.350, and they need to win by nearly 90 runs in order to jump RCB today.

But, with a powerful batting lineup, you can never say never!

Royal Challengers Bengaluru currently lead the IPL 2026 points table, with 18 points and a net-run-rate (NRR) of +1.065. Bar a huge defeat today, RCB will likely seal first position and the Top 2 berth. 

Gujarat Titans (GT), led by Shubman Gill, have already booked a Top 2 spot.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). A big one today in Hyderabad, with the final Top 2 spot to be decided. 

Stay tuned to NDTV Sports for all the live updates from the match.