The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally put a halt to their losing streak with a convincing 35-run victory over the in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their IPL 2024 clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium in Hyderabad on April 25. However, this win failed to lift the RCB up in the IPL 2024's points table.
However, despite the win, RCB remains at the bottom of the table, tied with Punjab Kings on four points. Their struggles are reflected in their negative net run rate (-0.721). Sunrisers Hyderabad, while losing the match, managed to hold onto their third position with 10 points from 8 games.
This loss does tighten things up in the middle of the pack. Teams like Lucknow Super Giants (currently 4th with 10 points) and Chennai Super Kings (5th with 8 points) will be closely watching the upcoming matches, as the race for playoffs heats up.
At the top of the table, Rajasthan Royals maintain a strong lead with 14 points. Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite their recent loss, are still positioned well to challenge for the top spots.
Here's the updated IPL 2024's points table after SRH vs RCB's clash:
| Pos. | Team | Mat. | Won | Lost | Points | NRR |
| 1 | Rajasthan Royals | 8 | 7 | 1 | 14 | +0.698 |
| 2 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 7 | 5 | 2 | 10 | +1.206 |
| 3 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | +0.577 |
| 4 | Lucknow Super Giants | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | +0.148 |
| 5 | Chennai Super Kings | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | +0.415 |
| 6 | Delhi Capitals | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | -0.386 |
| 7 | Gujarat Titans | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | -0.974 |
| 8 | Mumbai Indians | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | -0.227 |
| 9 | Punjab Kings | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | -0.292 |
| 10 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 9 | 2 | 7 | 4 | -0.721 |
SRH vs RCB's match highlights
Faf du Plessis-led RCB won the toss and elected to bat first against SRH. RCB set a target of 207 runs for the explosive Hyderabad batting lineup, known for breaking IPL batting records this season. Virat Kohli, the current holder of the Orange Cap, contributed with 51 runs off 43 balls, but it was Rajat Patidar's fiery knock that propelled Bangalore to a strong total. Patidar smashed a blistering 50 runs off just 20 balls, providing the much-needed impetus to RCB's innings. Earlier, Kohli had stitched together a 48-run opening partnership with Faf du Plessis, who fell after scoring a quick 25 runs off 12 balls.
In reply, the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting unit failed to build a strong foundation. Their openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, disappointed. Head was dismissed by spinner Will Jacks for just 1 run in the very first over, while Sharma managed a 13-ball 31 before departing in the fourth over. This left Hyderabad struggling at 2-37.
The Indian spin duo of Karn Sharma and Swapnil Singh then took control for RCB, claiming three crucial middle-order wickets – Aiden Markram (7), Nitish Kumar Reddy (13), and Heinrich Klaasen (7) – within a short span. With Hyderabad reeling at 5-69 in the eighth over, the chase looked almost impossible. The remaining batsmen failed to resurrect the innings, and SRH eventually fell short, bundled out for 171 runs with 8 wickets lost.
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