Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on 18 May 2023. SRH posted 186/5 from their 20 overs, a total that looked competitive on paper. RCB dismantled it with minimal fuss. Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match, and the result levelled the all-time head-to-head record between the two sides at 13 wins each from 26 IPL meetings.

The chase never carried the tension a target of 187 might usually imply. RCB's openers scored 64 runs in the powerplay without losing a wicket, nearly 50 per cent above the ground's powerplay average of 43. By the time the middle overs arrived, the equation was manageable and SRH's attack could not break through. RCB went on to add 86 runs in overs 7 to 15 again without loss, meaning they went 150 deliveries before conceding a single wicket. Two late wickets at the death, with 37 runs scored, were incidental. The target was reached at 187/2.

SRH's innings had its own merits. Their middle phase of 84 runs for one wicket kept the total rising after a cautious powerplay start of 49/2, and a death-overs contribution of 53/2 showed some late hitting. But 186/5 sat eight runs below this ground's average first-innings score of 192, and on a night when RCB's top order was in that kind of touch, it was always going to be short.