India, May 24 -- Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a heavy 42-run defeat at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday in Lucknow, a result that has significantly tightened the playoff race heading into the final leg of IPL 2025's league phase. The match, originally scheduled in Bengaluru, had been shifted to the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium due to logistical reasons, but the change of venue did little to help RCB's fortunes.

This was RCB's fourth defeat of the season, and with just one league game left, they now find themselves clinging to third place on the points table with 17 points from 13 matches. They are level on points with Punjab Kings, but trail Shreyas Iyer's side on net run rate.

The equat...