RCB vs SRH: RCB Aims to Boost Top-Two Finish Against Eliminated SRH

Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025, with RCB looking to boost their top-two finish. SRH have already been eliminated from the tournament, but will try to spoil RCB's party. The match will take place at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. RCB last played on May 17 against KKR, but the match was washed away by rain.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a crucial IPL 2025 match at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday, May 23. The game, originally scheduled at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, was shifted due to weather concerns [1].

RCB, currently second on the points table with 17 points from 12 games, needs a win to secure at least a top-two finish in the tournament. SRH, already out of the playoff race, will look to spoil RCB's party in their final match of the season [2].

The Ekana Stadium has proven to be a challenging venue for teams this season, with a slow pitch that favors spinners. The average first-innings score at this venue is around 168, but dew can play a significant role in the second innings [2]. The stadium's history shows that teams batting first have won only 1 out of 6 matches, with the other 5 wins coming to teams batting second [1].

RCB's batting lineup is led by Virat Kohli, who has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 505 runs at an average of 63.12. However, no other RCB batter has scored over 250 runs so far. SRH's Abhishek Sharma is their leading run-scorer with 373 runs [2].

For RCB, the absence of Josh Hazlewood, their leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets, could be a significant blow. SRH's Harshal Patel, on the other hand, has taken 15 wickets so far [2].

The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports network and can be streamed on JioHotstar app and website at 7:30 PM IST [2].

References:
[1] https://www.business-standard.com/cricket/ipl/ipl-2025-rcb-vs-srh-pitch-report-highest-score-ekana-stadium-key-stats-125052201067_1.html
[2] https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/ipl-2025-rcb-vs-srh-preview/story