The playoff spots may be locked in, but there's still some drama left as teams battle to determine the final sequencing. A few more crucial league matches stand between us and the definitive rankings. Next up, Punjab Kings will take on Delhi Capitals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. PBKS, currently sitting second, will be eager to grab a win and further cement their place in the top two. Meanwhile, DC, already out of the playoff race, will be playing for pride. The first ball is set to be bowled at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT), but don’t miss the thrilling build-up and analysis an hour before. Until then, stay safe and take care! 

Tensions are high in the RCB camp after a tough outing in Lucknow. This game serves as a wake-up call, pushing them to address key concerns before the playoffs. Without Josh Hazlewood, their bowling attack has lacked sharpness, despite the presence of seasoned players. Now, all eyes turn to their next clash against Lucknow Super Giants, a must-win encounter on May 27th, Tuesday, if they hope to reclaim the second spot. For SRH, there’s plenty to celebrate, though they can’t help but wonder why such a dominant performance came so late in the tournament. They’ll take the positives forward as they gear up for their final league match against KKR on Sunday, 25th May, determined to sign off on a high note.

Ishan Kishan of SRH is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his scintillating 94 off just 48 balls. He begins by saying that it's important to watch the ball and play your game. Highlights that the moment he saw Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head starting the game aggressively, he knew it was a good track to bat. Mentions that he just tried to play good shots and his plan was very simple. Overall, admits that his performance this season wasn't that good and feels he could have done much better. Concludes by saying that it's a game of learning and you just have to keep working hard.

Pat Cummins, says that it was a great performance, but too bad it came a bit too late. Adds that they have plenty of bowling options, and Abhishek is always in his ear to use him as well. Mentions that Ishan Kishan was excellent, and he was the difference between a total of 200 and 230. Says that they thought it was a 170 wicket, but every batter who went out said that it is a great surface and to just keep going. Praises Malinga and says that he has taken wickets everywhere he has played and has different skills - the fast yorker and the dipping slower are very hard to pick for the batters. ">The victorious captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pat Cummins, says that it was a great performance, but too bad it came a bit too late. Adds that they have plenty of bowling options, and Abhishek is always in his ear to use him as well. Mentions that Ishan Kishan was excellent and he was the difference between a total of 200 and 230. Says that they thought it was a 170 wicket, but every batters who went out said that it is a great surface and to just keep going. Praises Malinga and says that he has taken wickets everywhere he has played and has different skills - the fast yorker and dipping slower and very hard to pick for the batters.

It is time for the Presentation Ceremony...

Jaydev Unadkat of SRH is up for a chat now. He says it was one of the best wickets to bat on so far. Says they were expecting it in Hyderabad, but unfortunately didn't get such a surface. Adds that the messaging from the captain Cummins, was about being calm on the field and trying and make things happen. Admits that it didn't happen initially, but they made a good comeback in the latter stages. On Eshan Malinga's bowling, he says that he did everything on the field and was effective as well, and turned the game around for them. Repeats that it was a good track to bat on and they had to stick to bowling yorkers. States that it was more about execution rather than anything else. 

The captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Jitesh Sharma, says that they conceded 15-20 runs extra. Adds that SRH batted really well in the Powerplay, and they had no answers to the attack, but the bowlers still did well. Mentions that they were a bit rusty as they are playing after a long time, but after 6-7 overs, they were on the mark. Says that sometimes it is good to lose the game, as they can analyse a few things about what went wrong. However, they are still very confident as he and Rajat batted well, Kohli is in form, and the bowlers are also going good. Ends by saying that he has not met with Tim David and does not know how serious his injury is.

Earlier in the game, the Sunrisers were invited to bat first and didn't waste any time as Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head launched a ferocious attack first up with a half-century partnership. Eventually, though, both perished within the span of three balls, which pegged them back a bit. However, runs kept coming as the incoming batters didn't let the run rate nosedive. On the back of Klaasen's quick cameo, Aniket Verma's brave and gritty aggression, and with Ishan Kishan remaining unbeaten on 94 off just 48 balls, the Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a mammoth 231 on the board. For RCB, Romario Shepherd was the most successful bowler, though he bowled just two overs, he snagged a two-for. 

So, where exactly did the game flip? Just when RCB seemed to be cruising, a couple of quiet overs turned the game on its head. Nitish Kumar Reddy’s disciplined four-run over sucked the momentum out of the chase, and what followed was an absolute collapse. In the space of just five deliveries, Rajat Patidar, Jitesh Sharma, and Romario Shepherd all fell, sending RCB’s innings into a dramatic nosedive, and from there, they just could not recover at all. In the blink of an eye, SRH had clawed their way back, with Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga being the main destructors, with the former claiming 3 and the latter snagging two to his name.

Harsh Dubey wasted no time making an impact for SRH, striking in his very first over to remove the dangerous Kohli. But Phil Salt was in no mood to slow down. He kept up his aggressive approach, racing to his fifty and ensuring RCB stayed on track as the chase entered the middle phase. But by the halfway mark, RCB had already eaten up a huge chunk of the target. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowlers struggled to find control, hemorrhaging runs as if the tap had been left wide open. After an already tough Powerplay, they endured another expensive stretch, conceding 95 runs between overs 7 and 15.

RCB had a towering challenge ahead, just like scaling Mount Everest. But Virat Kohli and Phil Salt stepped up, ready to take it head-on. Kohli wasted no time, launching into aggressive strokes, while Salt had a shaky start but held his nerve, narrowly surviving a scare. Once he settled in, the duo started piling on the runs quickly. Hence, RCB had stormed to 72/0 after six overs, putting themselves in a strong position.

RCB will want to wipe this game from their memory as soon as possible, given everything that led up to it. Originally set to play in Bengaluru, they had to adjust to a rescheduled venue due to relentless rains back home. A few injury setbacks didn’t help either, but none of that takes away from SRH’s brilliance. Sunrisers were relentless with the bat, setting the tone early. Though their bowling wavered for a good portion of the innings, they found their spark when it mattered most, staging a dramatic comeback that turned the game on its head. In the end, it was SRH’s grit and resilience that sealed the deal.

An extremely forgettable outing for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru as the Sunrisers Hyderabad hand them a massive 42-run defeat at Lucknow! To add to their worries, their net run rate has taken an absolute dive as this heavy defeat slips them down to the third spot. Which means the Punjab Kings now climb to the second spot. 

Harshal Patel (3-0-37-0) to wrap the proceedings with the final over.

Lungi Ngidi is the last batter in for RCB.