Sunrisers Hyderabad are set to lock horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday, with the fight for supremacy at the top of the points table becoming more intense. Both teams have already secured their places in the playoffs, but the stakes remain enormous, with a top-two finish still hanging in the balance.

For RCB, the equation is straightforward. A victory in Hyderabad would seal the number one position and guarantee the advantage of two opportunities to qualify for the final. Sunrisers Hyderabad, however, have ambitions just as big. A win here could propel SRH into the top two as well, provided they beat RCB by a huge margin. After GT's 89-run win over CSK, things have become a bit more trick for SRH. Now for SRH to march into the top two, they need to win against RCB by 87 runs or overhaul the target in 11 overs or less than that.

SRH will also carry an added sense of motivation into the match after suffering a humiliating defeat earlier in the season when Bengaluru stormed into Hyderabad and chased down a massive 202-run target in 15.4 overs. SRH will now be desperate to settle the score. Hyderabad’s campaign has more or less revolved around the fearless batting of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Their aggressive starts have repeatedly helped SRH in their success this season. Both batters have shown remarkable intent in the powerplay, leading the assault. Ishan Kishan has had an inconsistent season; he has stepped up in times of need.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru, on the other hand, head into the match with a wave of success. Their consistency throughout the season has made them one of the most formidable teams. They only have four defeats to their name so far. RCB have found contributors in every department, and their bowling and batting depth has allowed them to maintain momentum even during difficult phases. Veteran batter Virat Kohli has performed exceptionally well, accumulating 542 runs that include four half-centuries and an unbeaten century.

Devdutt Padikkal has also rediscovered his best form this year, providing a boost at the top. In the middle order, Rajat Patidar and Tim David have been relentless. Meanwhile, Patidar missed RCB's last match, with Jitesh Sharma stepping in as stand-in captain. The side would hope that Patidar is fit for this crucial game. 

Head-to-head

Matches - 27

SRH won - 14

RCB won - 12

No result - 1

SRH Probable XII: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge

RCB Probable XII: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Romario Shepherd/Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Salam Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood