Hyderabad, 21 May

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad will both be eyeing a top-two finish when they square off in their final IPL league match here on Friday.

RCB currently sit atop the points table with 18 points and the best net run rate (NRR) of 1.065 among the 10 teams. A victory on Friday would guarantee them a first-place finish and two opportunities to reach the final.

Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, are placed third with 16 points from 13 matches, level with Gujarat Titans but behind on NRR. SRH have an NRR of 0.350 compared to GT's 0.400 and their best chance of breaking into the top two would be to beat RCB convincingly and hope Chennai Super Kingsdefeat GT.

RCB have once again enjoyed an outstanding campaign under skipper Rajat Patidar, blending explosive batting with disciplined bowling to emerge as title contenders for the second successive season. The talismanic Virat Kohli has continued to redefine consistency at the top of the order, collecting 542 runs from 13 matches, while Devdutt Padikkal has also enjoyed a good season.

The experienced pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood has also played a pivotal role in RCB's success. Bhuvneshwar has been among the leading wicket-takers this season, making the new ball talk regularly, while Hazlewood has delivered impactful spells at crucial moments.

Krunal Pandya too has impressed with his all-round value, troubling batters with subtle variations. Leg-spinner Suyash Sharma and all-rounder Romario Shepherd have also done their bit.

RCB start as favourites against an inconsistent SRH outfit, which appeared to have rediscovered momentum when they won five matches on the trot before suffering two defeats in their last four outings.

SRH have one of the most destructive batting line-ups in the competition, with Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen capable of dismantling any bowling attack on their day. However, inconsistency with the bat has hurt them at critical junctures. Their batting failures were the reason behind their recent defeats and the former champions will hope to iron out those lapses heading into the knock out stage.

On the positive side, SRH have drawn confidence from skipper Pat Cummins' leadership and the emergence of exciting young fast bowlers. Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga has been one of the revelations of the season, consistently delivering breakthroughs and economical spells under pressure.

Cummins himself has added greater intensity and control to the bowling unit since returning from injury midway through the tournament, providing SRH both tactical clarity and a cutting edge with the ball.

Match starts 7.30pm.