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Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Betting Preview, Odds & Predictions

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 21 May 2026

Simon Lewis 21 May 2026

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Sunrisers Hyderabad have secured a playoff spot but are pushing for Top Two.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be looking for a 10th win in 14 matches.
Explore betting opportunities in handicaps, batters to Score Over/Under Runs, bowlers to Take Over/Under Wickets markets and Match Sixes.

Expired

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is top of the wickets list (Getty Images).

This Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru prediction preview looks ahead to the IPL group match played in India. The Sunrisers are in a fight with the Titans for the prized second spot and a place in the Qualifier 1, which offers the quickest route to the final.

Match Details
Recent Form
Head-to-Head Record
Team News
Key Stats
Match Analysis
Betting Markets to Watch
Latest Odds

The Royal Challengers have made a superb defence of their title, but they will want to finish their group stage commitments with a win to ensure they’re in the best form possible to take a win in Qualifier 1 for an early spot in the final.

Match Details

Match	Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Competition	Indian Premier League
Date	22 May 2026
Time	16:00 SAST
Venue	Hyderabad, India

Recent Form

Team	Last 5 Matches
Sunrisers Hyderabad	LLWWW
Royal Challengers Bengaluru	WLWLW

The Sunrisers are in superb form, with seven wins in their last nine matches and will be a tough opponent for the Royal Challengers. The visitors are top of the table after winning their last three matches on the bounce after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Head-to-Head Record

Season	Winner	Margin of victory	Competition
2026	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	6 wickets	IPL
2025	Sunrisers Hyderabad	42 runs	IPL
2024	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	35 runs	IPL
2024	Sunrisers Hyderabad	25 runs	IPL
2023	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	8 wickets	IPL

The two teams have met 27 times down the years, with the Sunrisers claiming 14 wins to the 12 of the Royal Challengers.

Team News

Sunrisers Hyderabad: The Sunrisers top order has been the most successful in this IPL season, with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen leading the charge.

Possible XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: The Challengers have been superb all season but will be looking to finish with a win to ensure a home draw for Qualifier 1. They are not 100% confirmed to be in Qualifier 1, although there would need to be a huge swing in net run rate for them to miss out if they lose to the Sunrisers and the Titans enjoy a big win in their last match.

Possible XI: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (c), Tim David, Jitesh Sharma, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Kumar.

Key Stats

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen is 5th in the IPL runs list (555 runs @ 50.45).
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Ishan Kishan has scored 42, 55 & 70 in his last 3 knocks.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eshan Malinga is joint 6th in the wickets list with 17 wickets.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli is 6th in the runs list with 542 runs @ 54.20.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Venkatesh Iyer hit 4 sixes in his 40-ball 73* against the Punjab Kings.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar has figures of 3/27, 3/26, 3/5, 3/28, 4/23 & 2/38 in his last nine matches.

Match Analysis

The last match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad saw the Sunrisers romp to a 33-run victory over the Punjab Kings. The Sunrisers posted a formidable score of 235/4 off their 20 overs, hitting 17 sixes. The Kings recovered from 23/3 to reach 202/7 off their 20 overs, with 13 sixes.

The Royal Challengers beat the Sunrisers by six wickets with 26 balls in hand in their earlier group match and will be eager to complete a league double over their top-two rivals.

The weather report is for a hot and humid day, with partly cloudy skies through the evening as temperatures hit between 28°C to 39°C, but with a slim chance of any rain.

The track promises to once again be filled with runs, with the average first innings score this season closing in on 200. Bowling first is the popular option at this ground, with the team chasing winning 49 matches to 39 in recent years. This season the side batting first has claimed four wins out of six, but batting second is still likely to be on the cards for the side winning the toss.

Betting Markets to Watch

Result

With three wins in their last three matches and a great track record this season I’m confident in backing the Royal Challengers to end their group fixtures with an away win to clinch a double over the Sunrisers this season.

Best Royal Challengers Bengaluru Bowler

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is top of the IPL wickets list with 24 wickets at a strike-rate of 12.75 in his 13 matches this season and is a top candidate to be his side’s best bowler.

Score Over/Under Runs

The Sunrisers have three batters in the top nine runscorers this season, but I’m backing Heinrich Klaasen to be in the runs again, after scores of 65*, 69 and 47 in his last five matches. Virat Kohli bounced back from consecutive ducks to score 105* and 58 in his last two knocks and with the form he’s in it’s worth backing him to score over 39 runs batting at the top of the order.

Latest Odds

Market	Odds
Sunrisers Hyderabad Win	2.05
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Win	1.68
Match to go to a Super Over	29.00

Odds with Easybets.co.za

Verdict

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Royal Challengers Bengaluru

I’m backing the Royal Challengers to win, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar my pick to be their best bowler.

Virat Kohli is my pick to score 40 runs or more, with Heinrich Klaasen backed to score over 28 runs.

Royal Challengers Win

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Simon is a talented sports writer in South Africa with a strong focus on cricket having played first-team level for UCT, including playing at two Universities Weeks.

From a young age Simon was an avid reader of cricket magazines and books, and went on to be Editor of The Googly, CricketScene SA and SA Cricket, in addition to being a Features Writer on SA Sports Illustrated.

He has interviewed most of South Africa's premier cricketers and was the first writer to interview a teenaged Jacques Kallis.

Simon has also written about English and local football, rugby and cricket, in addition to major international tennis and golf stars and competitions.

You can follow more from Simon at Muckrack, X and LinkedIn.