SRH win big but RCB, GT seal top two spots | IPL 2026 SRH vs RCB SRH vs RCB Match Review, Analysis and Discussion feat. Aaron Finch, Ambati Rayudu, Matt Roller and Raunak Kapoor

<p><a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/team/sunrisers-hyderabad-628333">Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)</a> won, and yet it didn&#39;t feel like a win. <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/team/royal-challengers-bengaluru-335970">Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)</a> lost, but it didn&#39;t feel like that either. In a nutshell, that&#39;s how Friday night went in Hyderabad as RCB secured a top-two finish - they <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/ipl-2026-1510719/points-table-standings">finished No. 1</a> - despite a 55-run defeat, while SRH remained third.On the back of half-centuries from <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/abhishek-sharma-1070183">Abhishek Sharma</a>, <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/heinrich-klaasen-436757">Heinrich Klaasen</a> and <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/ishan-kishan-720471">Ishan Kishan</a>, SRH posted a monster total of 255, but had to restrict RCB to 166 or below for a chance to move into the top two. <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/rajat-patidar-823703">Rajat Patidar</a>&#39;s 56, <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/venkatesh-iyer-851403">Venkatesh Iyer</a>&#39;s 44 and <a href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/krunal-pandya-471342">Krunal Pandya</a>&#39;s unbeaten 41 ensured there were no blushes for RCB even as they finished the league stage with a defeat.That left the top three teams all on 18 points, with Gujarat Titans sandwiched between the two teams at No. 1 and No. 3. Eventually, it came down to net run-rate to decide which team would go to Qualifier 1, and which team would play the Eliminator.<br></p>