๐๐๐๐๐ :โโRoyal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
๐๐๐๐ : May 23,Fridayโ
๐๐๐๐ :19:30 PM ISTโโ
๐๐๐๐๐ :โ M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ :โ Indian Premier League 2025
In IPL 2025, teams batting second have come out on top in five of the six games held at Ekana, making it clear that chasing has worked better at this ground.
- Sunrisers will be counting on Abhishek Sharma to set the tone again. Heโs been in terrific touch, smashing 59 off 20 and 74 off 41 in his last two games.
- A total in the 190 range should offer a fair chance of defending at Ekana, given the pitch and conditions.
- RCB will miss Josh Hazlewoodโs presence with the ball, and without him, their attack could struggle to contain SRHโs aggressive top order.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar
Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website.
RCB vs SRH Match Prediction & Analysis
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Match 65 of the IPL 2025 this Friday at Ekana. RCB have locked in a playoff spot with 17 points from 12 matches and now aim for a top-two finish. SRH are out of the race but have looked sharper recently and will want to end strong. Looking at RCBโs form, however, they have the upper hand heading into this clash.
RECENT PERFORMANCE
TEAMS PREVIEW
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Preview
RCB have been terrific this season and have already booked their playoff spot. With two league games still to go, theyโre in a strong position to finish in the top two, which would give them an extra shot at reaching the final.
Theyโve been steady in both batting and bowling. Virat Kohli has led the charge with the bat, scoring 505 runs in 11 innings at an average of 63.12 and a strike rate of 143.46. Heโs looked in great rhythm and is well worth backing to deliver again.
Phil Salt hasnโt piled on the runs, but he tends to get going early at a quick rate and sets the tone for the innings more often than not. Rajat Patidar, whoโs captaining the side, has chipped in with 239 runs across 10 innings at a healthy strike rate of 140.58.
In the lower order, RCB will be counting on Tim David and Romario Shepherd to provide the late push. Shepherdโs unbeaten 53 off just 14 balls against Chennai was a reminder of how dangerous he can be in the death overs.
Missing Josh Hazlewood is a blowโtheyโll feel his absence given the control he usually brings. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Krunal Pandya have stepped in with wickets and experience. Yash Dayal and Rasikh Dar, on the other hand, might feel the heat in high-pressure moments, considering theyโre still settling into this level.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Preview
Sunrisers Hyderabad might be out of the playoff picture, but thatโs taken some pressure off. They’ve played with more freedom in recent matches, the latest being a convincing win over Lucknow Super Giants, which knocked LSG out of the playoff hunt.
SRH depend heavily on their top order. When the openers clickโespecially Abhishek Sharmaโthey usually put up a strong total. Abhishek has been excellent this season with 373 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 192.26. He just smashed a 20-ball 59 on this same ground and is a good bet to fire again with another quick 30-plus score against RCB.
Thereโs still no confirmation on Travis Headโs status after he missed the last match due to COVID. If he returns, itโll give SRH even more intent at the top.
In the middle order, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, and Nitish Kumar havenโt been consistent, but each of them has had momentsโlike Klaasenโs 47 off 28 last game. If one of them gets in, that might be enough to flip the game.
Down the order, Aniket Verma has quietly delivered. Heโs striking at 156 and has added useful runs in the late overs.
SRHโs bowling has looked a bit more settled lately. Pat Cummins is finding a rhythm, and Harshal Patel has been effective with his slower balls and cutters in the middle. Zeeshan Ansari and Eshan Malinga have combined for 14 wickets and have done well to hold things down through the middle overs.
Weather Conditions
Ekana isnโt the kind of surface where you can go hard from ball one. Batters usually need a few balls to adjust before they can start scoring freely. Once they settle in, the runs tend to come easier. Spinners tend to get some help through the middle overs, while quicks wonโt find much to work with. Theyโll have to mix up their paceโusing cutters and slower ballsโto stay in the game.
The heat and humidity in Lucknow will push the players, but at least the weather forecast looks clear, and we should have a full game.
RCB vs SRH Pitch Report
The average first-innings score at Ekana is around 170. KKR set the highest score here last season with 235/6 against LSG, winning by a massive 98 runs. Based on how the surface has played during IPL 2025, anything under 190 might not be enough. Targets in the 190โ200 rangeโor higherโlook safer if you want to stay ahead.
Toss: To Bowl
Ekana has seen six IPL 2025 matches so far, and the chasing side has taken the win in five of them โ a clear pattern suggesting that the pitch and conditions here suit the team batting second.
