Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 55 runs in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday, but the result carried contrasting outcomes for both teams in the race for a top-two finish.
SRH piled up a massive 255/4 after explosive knocks from Abhishek Sharma (56 off 22), Ishan Kishan (79 off 46) and Heinrich Klaasen (51 off 24). In response, RCB never seriously threatened the target but managed to reach 200/4 through contributions from Venkatesh Iyer (44 off 19), Rajat Patidar (56 off 39) and Krunal Pandya (41* off 31), ensuring they protected their superior Net Run Rate to finish at the top of the points table.
Despite finishing level on 18 points with RCB and Gujarat Titans, SRH slipped to third place and into the Eliminator due to their inferior NRR.
One of the biggest off-field talking points of the night emerged during the 17th over of SRH's innings when Krunal Pandya bowled one of his trademark bouncers to Nitish Kumar Reddy that sailed over the batter's head for a wide. A fan-recorded video from the stands captured SRH owner Kavya Maran reacting animatedly inside the franchise's VIP box, where she appeared to mouth the words, “He's chucking,” to multiple people around her.
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The clip quickly went viral across X and Instagram.
Kavya Maran reaction to Krunal Pandya bowling action was priceless 😭😂
— Rohan💫 (@rohann__45) May 22, 2026
She didn't look happy with it.
That “yeh kya daal raha hai bhai?” expression was too funny 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WYPeU4Nbsj
Krunal, meanwhile, has remained a key utility player for Bengaluru this season, contributing across phases with both bat and ball. He has scored 182 runs in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 145.60, including a match-winning 73 against Mumbai Indians, while also picking up 11 wickets this season.
There was another tense moment at Hyderabad involving RCB talisman Virat Kohli and SRH opener Travis Head after the match. During the customary post-game handshakes, Kohli was seen greeting several Hyderabad players, including skipper Pat Cummins and Abhishek Sharma, but appeared to walk past Head despite the Australian extending his hand for a handshake.
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The moment quickly drew attention online as it followed multiple on-field exchanges between the two during the game. Earlier, Kohli had celebrated aggressively after Head was bowled by Rasikh Salam, while the pair were also involved in another verbal exchange during RCB's chase. Neither player reacted publicly to the incident after the match.
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