Sunrisers Hyderabad, who made their IPL debut in 2013, and Royal Challengers Bangalore have been involved in some special encounters. Here is a look at such five matches between the two southern franchises.
IPL 2013
The first ever contest between Hyderabad and Bangalore proved to be a thriller. The former emerged victorious in a one-over eliminator with the game tied after 40 overs in Hyderabad. Australian Cameroon White hit a stunning 5-ball 17, helping the home team score 20 in six balls. Despite Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli opening the batting, they failed with Bangalore scoring 15 runs from the over. The match also proved how a low-scoring contest can prove to be a thriller as Bangalore managed 130 in the first 20 overs. And the visitors’ restricted them to a meagre 130 to push the game towards a super over. Kohli (Bangalore) and Hanuma Vihari (Hyderabad) top-scored with 46 and 44 runs respectively.
IPL 2014
How many times has AB de Villiers lit the Chinnaswamy Stadium with his ridiculous stroke play? Yes, it was one of those innings, where he hit sixes (eight to be precise) at will. After Hyderabad’s David Warner hit an attacking 61, ensuring his team had a decent total on the board, the second innings was about the South African. Chasing 156 to win, they were 38/3 and in walked de Villiers, who looked in top form. With 28 to win from 12 balls, he smashed Dale Steyn for three sixes and one four to ensure there is not much to get in the final over. ABD deservedly hit the winning boundary in the final over too.
IPL 2016, Final
The contest was memorable for Hyderabad, who clinched the title while it happened to be Bangalore’s last appearance in a final so far. It was one of those games, where the fans were entertained to the hilt. Warner (69), was the star of the first innings, helping his team score 208 runs. But that target was always achievable with Kohli having a dream run that season, and Bangalore looked on course with an opening stand of 114 alongside Gayle. After both the players were back in the dugout, they needed 69 from 43 balls, but pressure got to them and lost the game by eight runs with AB de Villiers, KL Rahul and Shane Watson failing to deliver the goods.
IPL 2019 (in Hyderabad)
Bangalore will never want to remember this contest while it is the opposite for Hyderabad, such was the latter’s dominance. It was one of the most one-sided contests between the two sides from the first minute. Jonny Bairstow and Warner were at their menacing best, thrashing the Bangalore bowlers all over the park, scoring 114 and 100 runs respectively. The away team, chasing 232 to win, could not even put up a fight. They were 35/6 with Mohammad Nabi scalping four, and even a three-figure mark looked difficult for the away team. They were 113/10, which was still less than Bairstow’s individual score and way off the main target.
IPL 2019 (in Bengaluru)
In the return fixture the same season, Hyderabad put up a good score on the board with Kane Williamson hitting a classy 43-ball 70. They scored 175 in 20 overs. And it looked like Bangalore were staring at another massive loss with Parthiv Patel, Kohli and de Villiers back in the dugout with the team struggling at 20/3. But then, they produced a comeback to remember with Shimron Hetmyer (75) and Gurkeerat Mann (65) involved in a stunning 144-run partnership to help them inch close to the target. They finally won the contest with four balls to spare, giving the home team a reason to smile in their last game of the season despite finishing last.