Hyderabad posted a commanding total and defeated Bengaluru by 55 runs in their final league match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. Despite the defeat, Bengaluru retained the top spot on the points table on the strength of net run rate, while Hyderabad finished third.
After both teams had already sealed playoff berths, Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins chose to bat after winning the toss. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head provided a rapid start, with Head striking early boundaries before departing for 26. Abhishek raced to a 20-ball fifty and was dismissed for 56 off 22 balls.
Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen then accelerated sharply, including a 27-run over off Josh Hazlewood. Kishan made 79 off 46 balls, while Klaasen brought up his sixth fifty of the season, scoring 51 off 24, as Hyderabad finished on 255/4 in 20 overs. Nitish Kumar remained unbeaten on 29.
Chasing 256, Bengaluru began briskly through Venkatesh Iyer, who hit 44 off 19 balls, but the innings wobbled after quick wickets, including Virat Kohli for 15 and Devdutt Padikkal for 21. Captain Rajat Patidar steadied the chase with a half-century, scoring 56 off 39, as Bengaluru ended on 200/4.
Bengaluru needed 178 or more to secure first place and crossed that mark, ensuring the top position via net run rate. Hyderabad would have needed a win by 90 runs or more to go top, but the 55-run margin left them third. Second-placed Gujarat will face table-toppers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1.
