Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar admitted Sunrisers Hyderabad completely outplayed his side in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash, as SRH registered a convincing 55-run win on Friday. Despite the defeat, RCB still finished the league stage at the top of the points table, but Patidar felt Hyderabad’s bowlers made the biggest difference in the match.
SRH piled up a huge total of 255/4 after their top-order batters dominated the first innings. In reply, RCB could only manage 200/4 and never truly looked in control of the chase.
Rajat Patidar says RCB wanted top spot finish
After the match, Patidar said finishing at the top of the IPL 2026 points table remained the main objective for RCB heading into the game.
The RCB skipper admitted 255 was always going to be a challenging target despite the batting-friendly conditions.
“The top priority was to be on the top, but I think, there were a lot of runs in the first innings. I think 255 is a good score on this wicket,” Patidar said.
Patidar praises SRH bowlers for perfect execution
Rajat Patidar credited Sunrisers Hyderabad bowlers for using slower deliveries and yorkers effectively during the chase.
According to him, those variations became difficult to attack even on a surface where batting conditions looked good.
“Their five bowlers executed the slow bouncers and yorkers pretty well. Obviously, Hyderabad, I think it’s a good wicket, but when you start bowling slow bouncers, slow into the wicket, it’s really tough for the batsman to score the runs,” he added.
SRH batters dominated first innings against RCB
Patidar also admitted SRH’s batting lineup completely controlled the first innings and took full advantage of familiar home conditions.
The RCB captain said the pitch did not really change much later in the game, but Hyderabad’s bowlers adapted far better to the conditions.
“Their top five batsmen played really well, and they purely dominated in the first innings. Not really, but the slow bouncer was gripping a bit, but I think the way… their strength is slow bouncers and yorkers, they executed pretty well,” he said.
Pat Cummins delighted with SRH bowling attack
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins praised his bowling attack after Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain played key roles in restricting RCB during the chase.
Cummins said the team needed several things to go right while defending such a huge total and was pleased with the overall execution from his bowlers.
“The boys batted fantastically. Pretty good wicket, knew a lot of things had to go our way. We threw a few things at them, it’s still a big win,” he said.
Pat Cummins praises Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain
Cummins also highlighted the performances of Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain, calling them a captain’s dream because of the control they showed under pressure.
“The way Eshan has bowled all through the tournament, Sakib there as well, captain’s dream. We’ll rest for a couple of days. We’ll know who we’re playing in a couple of days.”
With the league stage now over, both teams will turn their attention towards the IPL 2026 playoffs in the coming days.
The post IPL 2026: RCB captain Rajat Patidar reveals what hurt most in big defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad appeared first on Cricket Country.
