Match 65 of the 2025 Indian Premier League season brings us a crucial encounter in the race for a top-two finish, with an in-form Royal Challengers Bengaluru side facing the resurgent SunRisers Hyderabad at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on May 23.
For the game, here are our preview and predictions.
In a late change of events, this game was relocated from the Chinnaswamy Stadium to Lucknow after a yellow alert was issued by the meteorological department on the day of the game in Bengaluru.
This tilts the balance slightly in favour of SRH, who come into this game having already played and beaten the Lucknow Super Giants here in their previous encounter, while RCB had their last game against the Kolkata Knight Riders washed out due to rain. With a top-two finish in sight for RCB, and nothing but pride for the other, this one is poised to be a humdinger of a contest.
RCB would’ve loved to play against KKR at home regardless of the result given the sudden interruption in the tournament. Ahead of the playoffs, they would have preferred some momentum, having been on a four-match winning streak prior to the suspension.
Josh Hazlewood is nursing a shoulder injury and will only return for the playoffs, while Lungi Ngidi is expected to leave after their final league stage game, with Zimbabwean Blessing Muzarabani coming in as his replacement. Devdutt Padikkal, who has played an important role this season in many people’s eyes, has also been ruled out due to injury, with Mayank Agarwal coming in as his replacement.
With so many changes so late in the season, winning this game against SRH and securing one of the top two spots will go a long way for Rajat Patidar and Co.
Pat Cummins’ SunRisers, on the other hand, have shown resilience and courage with both bat and ball in their last couple of games. Batters Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan have started to find their groove, while Cummins, Harshal Patel, and Ehsan Malinga have found rhythm with the ball.
Travis Head missed the last game against the Lucknow Super Giants due to Covid, and doubts persist regarding his availability for this game. Kamindu Mendis also suffered an injury while batting and had to retire hurt and be carried off the field, though the biggest surprise was seeing star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami on the sidelines.
Having won the Purple Cap in 2022, Shami has had a torrid season this time around. The 34-year-old has only picked up six wickets in nine matches this season with an economy rate of 11.23. Thus, with two games remaining, it’ll be interesting to see whether SRH look to integrate him back into the playing XI or back the youngsters and groom them for next season.
Continuity is important in sports, and the recent abrupt suspension and cluster of injuries have hit RCB at the wrong time. SRH, on the other hand, looked much better against LSG, and based on the fact that they’ll be playing their second game at this venue, we back them to win this one.
Fantasy XI: Phil Salt, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klassen, Virat Kohli (vc), Rajat Patidar, Abhishek Sharma (c), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Pat Cummins
Venue: Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Winners Prediction: SunRisers Hyderabad
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