“They Purely Dominated”: Rajat Patidar Praises SRH’s Fearless Batting After RCB’s Defeat

The Orange Army Exacts Revenge in a High-Scoring Thriller

Match 67 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 witnessed a spectacular clash of titans at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. In a highly anticipated encounter between two of the tournament’s most formidable teams, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) delivered a comprehensive performance to defeat the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), by 55 runs. With this victory, the Orange Army successfully avenged their previous defeat against Rajat Patidar’s side, asserting their dominance on home soil.

Despite the substantial margin of defeat, RCB managed to retain their position at the pinnacle of the IPL points table thanks to a superior Net Run Rate (NRR). With both teams already qualified for the playoffs, this match served as a crucial dress rehearsal for the business end of the tournament, ensuring RCB’s spot in the coveted Qualifier 1.

Toss and Team Dynamics

The match began with Sunrisers Hyderabad winning the toss and electing to bat first on what appeared to be an absolute belter of a wicket. Looking to maintain their winning momentum, the home side fielded an unchanged playing eleven from their previous victory against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru welcomed back their regular captain, Rajat Patidar, who returned to lead the squad. Patidar replaced Jacob Bethell, who was unfortunately sidelined due to a lingering finger injury. With a top-two finish on the line, both squads walked out with high intensity, eager to secure psychological superiority ahead of the playoffs.

SRH’s Batting Powerhouse Puts On a Show

SRH’s opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma set the tone early. The Australian left-hander, returning to the lineup, looked in sublime touch, contributing a quickfire 26 runs as the duo stitched together a brisk 45-run partnership for the first wicket. Following Head’s departure, Abhishek Sharma joined forces with Ishan Kishan to keep the scoreboard ticking at a rapid pace.

Abhishek played a brilliant anchor-cum-aggressor role, bringing up a well-deserved half-century. His fine knock of 56 runs finally came to an end when he was dismissed by spinner Suyash Sharma. However, the real carnage was yet to come.

The defining phase of the first innings was the monumental 113-run partnership between Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. The duo decimated the RCB bowling attack, scoring at an astonishing rate of over 14 runs per over during the middle overs. The South African powerhouse, Klaasen, reached his fifty in just 23 deliveries, showcasing his peerless hitting ability against both pace and spin. The dangerous partnership was eventually broken by Krunal Pandya, who dismissed Klaasen, but the damage had already been done as SRH posted a mammoth total of 255 runs.

RCB’s Valiant Chase Falls Short

Faced with a mountain to climb, RCB began their chase in explosive fashion. Venkatesh Iyer played a sensational cameo, blasting 44 runs off just 19 deliveries. He and Virat Kohli put on a rapid 60-run opening stand to keep RCB abreast of the daunting required run rate. However, the momentum shifted when Eshan Malinga dismissed the dangerous Iyer. Kohli followed soon after, departing for a modest 15 runs.

The two quick wickets put the brakes on RCB’s scoring rate. Devdutt Padikkal attempted to revive the innings with a quick 21 off 14 balls, but could not convert it into a match-winning score.

Skipper Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya then came together to rebuild, stitching a magnificent 84-run partnership. Patidar led from the front with a fighting 56 runs, while Pandya remained unbeaten on 41. Despite some late-innings fireworks from Tim David, who chipped in with a rapid 15 off 7 balls, RCB fell 55 runs short of the target as SRH’s disciplined bowling unit closed out the game expertly.

“They Purely Dominated”: Rajat Patidar Reflects on the Defeat

Speaking at the post-match presentation, RCB captain Rajat Patidar was highly appreciative of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s clinical performance. When asked about the massive total conceded by his bowlers, Patidar acknowledged the quality of the opposition’s top order.

“Obviously, I think their top five batsmen played really well, and they purely dominated in the first innings,” Patidar remarked.

Reflecting on whether the pitch conditions changed during the course of the match, the RCB skipper clarified that the surface remained relatively consistent, though the variation in pace proved to be the differentiator.

“Not really, but I think the slow bouncer was gripping a bit. Their strength is slow bouncers and yorkers, and they executed pretty well. The top priority was to be on the top of the table, but there were a lot of runs in the first inning. I think 255 is a good score on this wicket. And I think their five bowlers executed the slow bouncers and yorkers pretty well,” he explained.

Patidar concluded by pointing out the challenges of batting against a disciplined bowling attack on the Hyderabad surface. “Obviously, Hyderabad is a good wicket, but when you start bowling slow bouncers, slow into the wicket, I think it’s really tough for the batsman to score the runs consistently.”

Looking Ahead to the Playoffs

While the defeat serves as a wake-up call for the defending champions, RCB can take solace in the fact that they have secured their position at the top of the table. Their focus now shifts entirely to Qualifier 1, where they will look to rectify their bowling execution in the death overs and secure a direct pathway to the grand finale.