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Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) set a mammoth target of 256 in their last league stage game of the IPL 2026. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) got off to a flying start with Venkatesh Iyer scoring 44 runs from just 19 balls but after he and Virat Kohli fell towards the end of powerplay overs (75/2), RCB gave up on chasing down the big total and focused on ensuring that they qualify for top two and then finish on the top points table. RCB guaranteed a top-two finish in the 17th over and the top spot in the penultimate over. They ended up posting 200/4 on the board, losing the match by 55 runs. After denying SRH a spot in Qualifier 1, RCB head coach Andy Flower said that he left the call to batters in the middle.
"We were in a position to keep pushing to chase down 255 but ultimately we got the job done and topped the league. It's quite a tricky situation when you've got these conflicting things," Flower said in the post-match presentation after, "winning the game and ensuring we top the league".
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"We did discuss the various targets. So I think we needed 166 to confirm top two, 179 to confirm top of the league and obviously 255 to win the game. I thought Venky (Iyer) batted brilliantly up front to give us that impetus.
"And then we wanted the batsmen to get a feel of the game out there and make a decision about whether they wanted to take on the 255 or the 180."
RCB’s approach in run chase
Apart from Iyer, only Tim David batted with a strike rate over 200. Kohli departed for an 11-ball 15. Devdutt Padikkal scored 21 runs from 14 balls before falling to Eshan Malinga. Skipper Patidar and Krunal Pandya shared an 82-run partnership from 57 deliveries. Patidar departed for a 39-ball 56, featuring six fours and a six. On the other hand, Krunal remained unbeaten for a 31-ball 41. David contributed with a seven-ball 15.
RCB will now face Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Qualifier 1 game on May 26. Despite a big win, SRH finished third on the points table and will play Eliminator on May 27.
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