Bangalore, India (April 16): Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) woes continue in the IPL as they slumped to their fifth consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 25 runs. The home crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium witnessed a disappointing performance as RCB’s struggles deepened, leaving them languishing at the bottom of the IPL table with only two points from seven games.

SRH, on the other hand, thrived under pressure, securing their fourth win and climbing to fourth place with eight points.

The turning point of the match came in the first innings. Batting first, SRH unleashed an offensive masterclass, posting a mammoth total of 288 runs for the loss of just three wickets. Australian opener Travis Head stole the show with a breathtaking knock of 102 runs off a mere 41 balls, peppering the boundaries with nine fours and eight towering sixes. Heinrich Klaasen provided valuable support with a quickfire 67 off 31 deliveries.

Chasing a daunting target, RCB displayed glimpses of hope. Openers Faf du Plessis (62 off 28) and Virat Kohli (40 off 20) got a flying start, stitching together an 80-run partnership. Later, Dinesh Karthik (83 off 35) took the fight to the SRH bowlers with a blistering knock, but it wasn’t enough. Anuj Rawat chipped in with a handy 25 off 14 balls, but the rest of the RCB batting lineup faltered, leaving them 26 runs short.

Pat Cummins led the SRH bowling attack with a three-wicket haul, restricting the RCB chase and dampening their spirits further.

With their season hanging by a thread, RCB needs a miracle turnaround in their upcoming matches.