HYDERABAD, India (AP) — Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru sacrificed trying to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad to ensure they finished atop the Indian Premier League table on Friday.
Bengaluru got what it wanted despite losing by 55 runs.
Top of the table on net run rate, Bengaluru will host Gujarat Titans in the first playoff on Tuesday with the winner going straight to the May 31 final in Ahmedabad.
Hyderabad, tied on points with Bengaluru and Gujarat but third in the table, will host the second playoff on Wednesday against a team yet to be determined.
Hyderabad posted 255-4 — its ninth 200-plus total in 14 games — thanks to half-centuries from Ishan Kishan (79), Abhishek Sharma (56) and Heinrich Klaasen (51).
That left Bengaluru needing only 166 runs to clinch a top two placing. After a blazing start by Venkatesh Iyer and the cheap dismissals of Virat Kohli and Devdutt Paddikal, captain Rajat Patidar and Krunal Pandya set their sights on 166 instead of winning and got there in the 17th over.
They then passed 178 to clinch top spot in the table. They finished on 200-4, Pandya not out on 41 after Patidar fell for 56.
“The top priority was to be on the top (of the table). The target was a lot,” Patidar said.
“The top five (Hyderabad) batters played very well and they dominated … (and when we batted) the slower bouncer was gripping and they executed the bouncers and yorkers very well.”
Iyer, opening the batting for the first time this season, smashed four sixes and four boundaries in his rapid 44 off 19 balls, but once he was out and Kohli was caught at cover for 15 off 11 balls inside the powerplay, Bengaluru revised its match priority.
Fast bowlers Eshan Malinga (2-33) and Sakib Hussain (1-31) stood out for Hyderabad.
Earlier, the Hyderabad top order flayed the Bengaluru pacers including senior pros Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who conceded 106 runs off their eight overs without a wicket.
Sharma profited from three dropped catches before completing his 21-ball half-century with five sixes and four boundaries. Kishan and Klaasen kept on attacking the pacers and didn’t spare spinner Pandya, who gave away 24 off his two overs before dismissing Klaasen in the 17th over as Hyderabad notched its season-best total.
“It’s pretty impressive to get the score that we did,” Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins said. “Everyone’s hitting their straps.”
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