SunRisers Hyderabad’s chances of reaching the top two in the Indian Premier League were nearly washed away after Gujarat Titans hammered Chennai Super Kings by 89 runs in their final league-stage game. The massive victory handed second-placed Gujarat such a huge Net Run Rate boost that it is now nearly impossible for third-placed SRH to overtake them.
Pat Cummins’ SRH currently have a net run rate of +0.350, significantly lower than Gujarat’s +0.695. Speaking on JioStar about the equation, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra said that SRH would need something extraordinary to push themselves into the top two.
“For Sunrisers Hyderabad to move ahead in the top-two race, it would require something extremely extraordinary,” Chopra said.
In their final league-stage game, SRH face one of the toughest teams in the tournament, Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Hyderabad had faced RCB in the opening game of IPL 2026, where they were comprehensively beaten by six wickets. Chasing 202 runs, RCB romped home in just 15.4 overs, a victory that set the tone for their campaign this season.
To put things into perspective, even if SRH manage to pull off a massive win, qualification into the top two still remains extremely difficult.
As explained earlier, it is nearly impossible for SRH to surpass Gujarat Titans’ net run rate. Their next best hope, therefore, is to drag RCB’s net run rate down enough to snatch the second spot in the league table.
And that, surprisingly, is still possible.
SRH can finish in the top two if they beat RCB by a margin of around 87 to 89 runs on Friday. Such a result would push Hyderabad’s net run rate close to +0.650 while dragging RCB down to somewhere between +0.635 and +0.645, which could push Bengaluru down to third place in the standings.
If RCB bat first, SRH’s only realistic route into the top two would be to restrict the visitors to around 180 runs and chase the target down within 11 overs.
As Chopra said on JioStar, while the qualification scenarios remain mathematically alive, the scale of what is required appears highly improbable.
Friday’s match is set to be played on Pitch No. 2 in Hyderabad, traditionally one of the best batting surfaces at the venue. The strip has already produced two batting masterclasses this season, with SRH posting 242 for 2 against Delhi Capitals and 234 for 4 versus Punjab Kings, winning both matches comfortably after batting first.
With explosive batting units on both sides, another high-scoring encounter could well be on the cards.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Source: India Today
