The SRH vs RCB IPL 2026 clash on May 22 at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is a playoff Top 2 decider with a league-stage label.
Both Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have qualified, but Qualifier 1, top-two seeding, and the road to the final are all very much alive.
Get where to watch Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers, match Stats, head-to-head, playing11, pitch report & prediction on Friday’s match 67.
This one has teeth.
Defending champions RCB sit at the top of the IPL 2026 standings, still chasing the No. 1 seed heading into the knockout stage.
A win Friday locks that in cleanly. But for SRH, the math is harsher. Lose to RCB, and they stay stranded on 16 points — forced into the sudden-death Eliminator, where one bad night ends their season. Win, and they’re in Qualifier 1 with two lives.
Virat Kohli has been relentless this season — 542 runs in 13 matches — and RCB already got the better of SRH once in this campaign, in the season opener. Completing that double on SRH’s home ground would be significant.
The history here sharpens everything. SRH lead the head-to-head 14-12 across 27 IPL meetings, including a 2016 final that still stings RCB fans. At Rajiv Gandhi, SRH hold a 6-1 record against RCB — the most lopsided venue split in this rivalry.
Home crowd. Playoff pressure. A decade of history. Friday in Hyderabad has no room for passengers.
Where to Watch Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
| Match | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Stadium | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Date & Time | Friday, May 22, 7:30 P.M.(IST) |
| Live Streaming | Jio Hotstar |
SRH vs RCB Head to Head Records
| Matches | 27 |
| SRH Wons | 14 |
| RCB Wons | 12 |
| No result | 01 |
| At M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | SRH 4, RCB 6, NR 1 |
| At Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | SRH 6, RCB 3 |
| Neutral Stadium | SRH 4, RCB 3 |
SRH vs RCB Pitch Report
The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium pitch is a batting paradise with a rock-hard surface. Batters dominate here because the ball comes onto the bat consistently, allowing for massive scores. The average first-innings total has skyrocketed to 212 this season.
Pacers find early movement with the new ball under lights, but once the shine fades, they must rely on clever slower balls and wide yorkers to survive. Spinners gain a significant advantage during the middle overs as the dry surface offers decent grip and sharp turn.
Chasing teams hold the upper hand in 2026, winning 65% of the matches thanks to the evening dew, which makes gripping the ball difficult for bowlers. Defending totals requires an elite death-bowling performance because the fast outfield yields boundaries easily.
This high-scoring venue rewards aggressive stroke play while forcing bowlers to stay extremely disciplined to avoid being hammered across the park.
Weather Report
The temperature will be around 32 -33 degrees Celsius on the evening of the SRH vs RCB match. The sky will be fully cloudy, and the humidity will be around 64-68%. The wind will blow from the Westsouth-west at 15 km/h. We can see a few dew on the pitch in the second inning. There is a moderate probability of rain during the match.
SRH vs RCB Playing 11 (Probable)
For SRH
Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Praful Hinge
Impact Player – Sakib Hussain / Harsh Dubey
For RCB
Virat Kohli, Phil Salt / Jacob Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(C), Venkatesh Iyer, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood
Impact Player – Suyash Sharma / Rasikh Salam
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Stats
| Year | Winner | Margin | Venue | Key Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | SRH | Super Over | Hyderabad | First-ever meeting; decided by Super Over. |
| 2013 | RCB | 7 Wickets | Bengaluru | Kohli’s 93* powered RCB’s first win. |
| 2014 | RCB | 4 Wickets | Bengaluru | AB de Villiers’ 89* (41) pulled off a heist. |
| 2014 | SRH | 7 Wickets | Hyderabad | SRH chased 161 comfortably. |
| 2015 | SRH | 8 Wickets | Bengaluru | David Warner’s 57 led a dominant chase. |
| 2015 | RCB | 6 Wickets | Hyderabad | Rain-hit 6-over shootout thriller. |
| 2016 | RCB | 45 Runs | Bengaluru | Kohli & ABD both hit 80+ in one game. |
| 2016 | SRH | 15 Runs | Hyderabad | SRH defended 194. |
| 2016 | SRH | 8 Runs | Bengaluru | IPL Final: SRH won their first title. |
| 2017 | SRH | 35 Runs | Hyderabad | Yuvraj Singh’s 62 (27) in season opener. |
| 2017 | N/A | Abandoned | Bengaluru | Match washed out due to rain. |
| 2018 | SRH | 5 Runs | Hyderabad | SRH defended a low total of 146. |
| 2018 | RCB | 14 Runs | Bengaluru | RCB won a high-scoring game (218 vs 204). |
| 2019 | SRH | 118 Runs | Hyderabad | Bairstow (114) & Warner (100*) twin 100s. |
| 2019 | RCB | 4 Wickets | Bengaluru | Hetmyer led a successful chase. |
| 2020 | RCB | 10 Runs | Dubai | Chahal’s 3/18 triggered an SRH collapse. |
| 2020 | SRH | 5 Wickets | Sharjah | SRH won a low-scoring chase. |
| 2020 | SRH | 6 Wickets | Abu Dhabi | Eliminator: SRH knocked RCB out. |
| 2021 | RCB | 6 Runs | Chennai | RCB defended 149 in a dramatic finish. |
| 2021 | SRH | 4 Runs | Abu Dhabi | SRH won a final-over thriller. |
| 2022 | SRH | 9 Wickets | Mumbai | RCB 68 all out; SRH won in 8 overs. |
| 2022 | RCB | 67 Runs | Mumbai | Hasaranga’s 5/18 routed SRH. |
| 2023 | RCB | 8 Wickets | Hyderabad | Virat Kohli’s 100 (63) in a chase. |
| 2024 | SRH | 25 Runs | Bengaluru | IPL Record 287/3 posted by SRH. |
| 2024 | RCB | 35 Runs | Hyderabad | RCB ended SRH’s winning streak. |
| 2025 | SRH | 42 Runs | Lucknow | Moved from Bengaluru due to rain. |
| 2026 | RCB | 6 Wickets | Bengaluru | Season Opener: Kohli (69*) chases 201. |
| 2026 | TBD | Upcoming | Hyderabad | Match 67 scheduled for May 22, 2026. |
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Stats
- SRH smashed a world-record 22 sixes in a single innings against RCB.
- Travis Head hammered a 39-ball century, the fourth fastest in IPL history, against RCB.
- SRH’s 118-run victory in 2019 remains one of the largest margins in IPL.
- SRH defended a target under 150 against RCB on three separate occasions.
- Virat Kohli leads the rivalry with over 800 runs and multiple match-winning centuries.
SRH vs RCB Prediction
The SRH vs RCB prediction is a 50-50 toss-up. SRH is currently in red-hot form and playing at home, where their performance has been nothing short of destructive. However, RCB enters this clash on a three-match winning streak, having already defeated SRH in the IPL 2026 season opener.
Since both teams have already qualified, they are now fighting for a top-two spot. With blistering batting lineups and potent bowling attacks, both sides have made a massive impact this season.
While SRH holds a slight edge in overall head-to-head stats and historically dominates at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, RCB’s current momentum could easily result in an upset.
Prediction: SRH won by 3-4 wickets or 4-5 runs.
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