Virat Kohli looked visibly aggrieved as Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a 55-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match of the IPL 2026 league stage. The frustration spilled over immediately after the game when Kohli brushed past Travis Head and refused the customary handshake. For RCB, the defeat also halted a bid to extend their run of form to a fourth consecutive victory, even though they still secured the top spot in the points table at the end of the league phase.
IPL 2026 league phase: final standings and qualification picture
Despite going down to SRH, Bengaluru will finish first in the IPL 2026 standings. Over 14 league games, the Rajat Patidar-led side recorded nine wins and five defeats to finish on 18 points.
- RCB finished first: 14 matches, 9 wins, 5 losses, 18 points.
- Gujarat Titans will place second with 18 points, but a lower net run rate than RCB.
- SRH finished third on 18 points as well, again with a lower net run rate than RCB.
- Rajasthan Royals ended up fourth with 14 points, but were not yet confirmed as qualified.
- Punjab Kings finished fifth on 13 points; both RR and PBKS still had one match left.
- KKR sat sixth with 13 points and also had one game remaining.
- Delhi Capitals were eighth on 12 points with a chance to improve their position, with DC also having a match left.
RCB’s chase derailed: batting struggles vs a 255/4 total
While RCB completed the league phase at the summit, their batting performance against SRH was a clear concern. Chasing 256, Bengaluru were restricted to 200 for the loss of four wickets in their 20 overs.
Kohli, in particular, never seemed to settle. He was dismissed in the sixth over, scoring 15 off 11 balls. The wicket came after he received a slow delivery from Sakib Hussain and struck it straight to Ravichandran Smaran, who made the catch at covers with ease. At that stage, RCB’s chase had slipped to 74 for 2 in 5.5 overs.
Kohli’s frustration captured during the run chase
After the match, a clip circulated widely on social media showing Kohli’s reaction while Bengaluru were still in the chase. With RCB positioned at 170 for 3 in 17.4 overs, the broadcast cameras turned to Kohli. His expression reflected deep disappointment as he stood up from his seat in the dugout and walked away in anger.
SRH’s batting dominance and Patidar’s post-match reaction
SRH set up the win with a strong batting display, posting 255 for 4 in 20 overs. Rajat Patidar responded with the top score for RCB, smashing 56 off 39 balls, but the rest of the chase lacked momentum as SRH maintained control.
- SRH finished on 255/4 in 20 overs.
- Ishan Kishan made 79.
- Abhishek Sharma scored 56.
- Heinrich Klaasen contributed 51.
- Eshan Malinga took two wickets for SRH.
What the RCB captain said after the match
After the game, RCB skipper Patidar addressed the result and the innings. He said, “The top priority was to be on the top, but I think, there were a lot of runs in the first inning. I think 255 is a good score on this wicket. And I think their five bowlers executed the slow bouncers and yorkers pretty well.”
Patidar added: “Obviously, Hyderabad, I think it’s a good wicket, but when you start bowling slow bouncers, slow into the wicket, I think it’s really tough for the batsman to score the runs.”
