IPL 2025: SRH ride power-packed batting to hunt down RCB

Sunrisers Hyderabad rode a powerful batting performance spearheaded by an unbeaten half-century by Ishan Kishan to defeat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 42 runs in an Indian Premier League encounter at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

- AJEYO BASU

Ishan Kishan's unbeaten 94 saw Sunrisers Hyderabad set a massive total of 231/6 in their 20 overs. In reply, RCB squandered a promising start before being all out for 189 in 19.5 overs.

RCB started their chase in explosive fashion with batting icon Virat Kohli (43 off 25) going great guns. The former skipper seemed set for a big score before failing to keep down a cut through the off-side as Abhishek Sharma latched on to the catch at backward point.

Philip Salt - the other RCB opener - who was playing second fiddle to Kohli till that point, took on the task of going after the SRH bowling, finishing as the top scorer with 62 runs off 32 deliveries.

However, the pressure of the formidable target seemed to be taking a toll on collective psyche of the RCB batters as the SRH bowlers kept picking up wickets at regular intervals.

SRH skipper Pat Cummins sent Salt back to the pavilion when the Englishman was deceived by the lack of pace of a full-length delivery on to offer a high leading edge to Harshal Patel.