How RCB Can Finish In Top-Two Of IPL 2025 Points Table Despite Loss To SRH

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's hopes of a top-two finish in IPL 2025 points table dealt with a blow as SunRisers Hyderabad handed the side a 42-run defeat in Lucknow on Friday. Winning the game could have taken RCB close to their target but a loss has only made things tough for them. The side has just one match remaining and it needs to win it to keep the hopes of top-two finish alive. The loss means that only a victory in their final league game won't be enough as RCB will also have to be dependent on the result of other matches.

RCB squandered a golden chance to finish inside the top two, going down to Ishan Kishan-fuelled Sunrisers Hyderabad. As a result of this heavy defeat, Royal Challengers (17 points) have slid down to third on the table behind Gujarat Titans (18) and Punjab Kings (17). The Net Run Rate (NRR) also took a significant beating.

Once they were asked to chase an imposing 232, which the SRH set after Kishan made a stunning unbeaten 94 off 48 balls, RCB required some calculated assault on the target.
They mounted it through Phil Salt (62, 32b, 4xx, 5x6), Virat Kohli (43, 25b, 7x4, 1x6) and Jitesh Sharma (24, 15b), but could only amass 189 before getting bundled out, and it was RCB's first defeat away from home this season.

But the beginning of RCB's chase offered a different tale, as Kohli and Salt sprinted to 80 runs in just 7 overs.

Kohli, who had recently retired from Test cricket, was the chief aggressor, clattering pacers Harshal Patel for two fours and Eshan Malinga for a swatted six over mid-wicket.

But the veteran fell to an old nemesis - left-arm spin -for the 22nd time in his storied T20 career, this time to 22-year-old Harsh Dubey, the highest wicket-taker in 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season for