Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Timeline: 2013 to 2026

Last Meeting: IPL 2026 Opener, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Result: RCB beat SRH by 6 wickets
Star Performer: Jacob Duffy 3 for 22
Head to Head: SRH lead 14 to 12 in 27 IPL matches (1 no result)

If you follow the IPL with even half an eye, the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru timeline has handed you more drama than most rivalries manage in a decade. Title clashes. Record totals. Last over finishes. Iconic individual performances. And one final that still gets brought up every single season. This is not just two IPL teams playing each other twice a year. It is a proper rivalry with storylines that build across seasons and refuse to settle.

I have followed every chapter of this fixture since SRH entered the IPL in 2013. Let me walk you through every season, every turning point, and every number that matters, right up to the IPL 2026 opener at Chinnaswamy.

SRH vs RCB Timeline at a Glance

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Where It All Started — SRH Enter the IPL in 2013

The First Meeting That Set the Tone

Sunrisers Hyderabad replaced Deccan Chargers in the IPL in 2013. Their very first match in IPL history was against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. That alone tells you something about this fixture.

The first meeting on April 7, 2013 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium ended in a tie. Both teams scored 130. Then came the Super Over, and SRH won it.

From the very first ball between these two sides, the rivalry announced that it would not follow a script.

The second meeting in Bengaluru two days later went to RCB. Virat Kohli anchored the chase at Chinnaswamy. One win each. A Super Over. The rivalry was born properly.

2014 and 2015 — Close, Competitive, Building

The early seasons were closely fought. RCB had the batting firepower in Kohli and AB de Villiers. SRH had the bowling discipline in Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Neither team dominated across a full season, but matches between them were always competitive.

David Warner’s arrival at SRH changed the dynamic. He gave them an attacking opener who could match RCB’s star power ball for ball. His 2015 display at Chinnaswamy showed exactly what he could do in conditions that favour batters. SRH won that match by 8 wickets.

2016 — The Season That Defined This Rivalry Forever

The League Matches: RCB Win First, SRH Fight Back

In the 2016 league stage, RCB won the first match by 45 runs. AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli were in the kind of form that made bowling attacks look irrelevant. That RCB side was arguably the best batting unit the IPL had ever seen.

Chris Gayle was still in the side. AB was at his peak. Kohli scored 973 runs in that single IPL season, which remains the highest individual tally in one IPL season by any batter ever.

SRH won the second league match. Warner and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took over. It was 1 to 1 heading into the playoffs.

The 2016 IPL Final: SRH Win by 8 Runs

This is the match that hangs over the entire rivalry. The 2016 IPL final at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH batted first and posted 208 for 7, with Warner top scoring.

Ben Cutting smashed 35 not out off just 15 balls at the death to push the total beyond comfortable chasing territory.

RCB needed 209 off 20 overs. Kohli and Gayle gave them a flying start. At one point RCB looked set to win comfortably. Then SRH’s bowlers took over in the back half of the innings and Bhuvneshwar Kumar was brilliant.

Mustafizur Rahman took crucial wickets. RCB finished on 200 for 7 and lost by 8 runs.

SRH lifted the IPL trophy for the first time. RCB went home heartbroken. That 8 run margin sits at the heart of this rivalry. It is the reason every later RCB vs SRH match carries extra weight for fans of both teams. KL Rahul said years later that he and Virat Kohli still talk about the 2016 final. That is how deep it cut.

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2017 to 2020: SRH’s Period of Dominance

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Becomes RCB’s Nightmare

From 2017 onwards SRH went on a sustained run of dominance in this fixture. They won four consecutive matches against RCB across 2017 and 2018. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the constant. He picked up wickets in the powerplay, controlled the middle overs, and defended in the death.

RCB could not find an answer. Their batting still functioned but their bowling leaked too many runs and their middle order kept collapsing against SRH’s disciplined attack.

2019: Jonny Bairstow’s 114 and the Record Score

The 2019 season produced one of the most extraordinary individual innings in the history of this fixture. Jonny Bairstow scored 114 off 56 balls against RCB. It remains the highest individual score in any SRH vs RCB match. He and David Warner opened together and dismantled the RCB bowling completely. SRH won by 118 runs, their biggest win over RCB in IPL history.

RCB responded by winning the second match of the season by 4 wickets. A small consolation. But SRH’s dominance in the period from 2017 to 2020 was clear.

2020: SRH Knock RCB Out of the Playoffs

In the UAE season of 2020, SRH and RCB met twice in the league stage and then once more in the Eliminator. SRH won all three. The Eliminator in Sharjah ended RCB’s tournament. It was a painful exit and it deepened the rivalry further going into the next cycle of seasons.

2021 to 2023: RCB Find Their Footing

Harshal Patel Changes the Equation

The 2021 season finally brought RCB some relief in this fixture. Harshal Patel, who was extraordinary throughout that IPL season, took 5 wickets against SRH in a match RCB won by just 6 runs. It was exactly the kind of game RCB had been on the wrong side of for years. They held their nerve and won, then took the second meeting as well. It was their first season double over SRH since 2016.

2022: Hasaranga’s Five Wickets

Wanindu Hasaranga took 5 for 18 against SRH in 2022. It is the only five wicket haul ever taken in this rivalry. RCB won that match by 67 runs. It was a statement performance. SRH had won the other meeting that season by 9 wickets, so the year was split. But Hasaranga’s spell showed RCB could produce moments that completely shut down any batting lineup, even one as powerful as SRH’s.

2023: Last Over Drama at Both Ends

The 2023 season gave fans exactly what they wanted. RCB chased 187 without losing more than 2 wickets in the first match. Then SRH defended 215 in Hyderabad in the second match, in a finish that went to the last over. SRH won by 4 runs. The rivalry was as tight as it had ever been.

2024: SRH Post 287 and Break the IPL

The Highest Score in IPL History Against RCB

April 15, 2024 at Chinnaswamy Stadium. This is one of the most extraordinary matches in IPL history and it happened between these two teams.

SRH posted 287 for 3 off 20 overs. Travis Head scored 102 off 51 balls. Abhishek Sharma hit 63. Heinrich Klaasen smashed 23 off 8 at the end. The innings broke the all time IPL record for highest team total, going past the previous mark of 277 set by RCB themselves back in 2013.

RCB chased and reached 262 for 7. Faf du Plessis scored 62. Virat Kohli added 47. Cameron Green launched 52 off 18 balls in the most spectacular cameo of the match. RCB’s 262 was not enough but it stood as the second highest total by any team in a losing cause in IPL history.

The combined 549 runs in that match is the highest aggregate in any T20 match ever played anywhere in the world. SRH won by 25 runs. The match left everyone who watched it slightly broken.

RCB won the second meeting that season by 35 runs in Hyderabad. Rajat Patidar scored 83. The year finished 1 to 1. But the 287 game was all anyone could talk about.

2025: SRH Win the League Match as RCB Lift the Title

In IPL 2025, SRH and RCB met once in the league stage at the neutral venue of Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on May 23. SRH posted 231 for 6. Ishan Kishan scored 94 off 48 balls in a blistering knock after coming in at number three. Pat Cummins hit 28 off 13 at the end to push the total past 230.

RCB chased and were bowled out for 189. They lost by 42 runs. SRH’s bowling was disciplined and sharp throughout. RCB’s middle order did not fire when it needed to.

But here is the twist. RCB went on to win the 2025 IPL title, their first ever, beating Punjab Kings in the final. They became champions for the first time in 18 seasons. Rajat Patidar lifted the trophy.

Virat Kohli wept. The city of Bengaluru went into a frenzy that lasted for days. SRH finished sixth in 2025, and the league win over RCB ended up being one of the few highlights of their season.

IPL 2026 Opener: RCB Beat SRH at Chinnaswamy

The 2026 IPL season opened at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28. RCB walked out as defending champions for the first time in their 18 season history.

SRH walked in as the team that had beaten them in the league stage the year before.
The IPL schedulers picked this exact fixture to open the entire tournament. That was no coincidence.

All eyes were on Virat Kohli’s return to Chinnaswamy as a champion. On the other side, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma’s opening partnership remained one of the most dangerous in T20 cricket.

Ishan Kishan, appointed SRH captain for 2026, added another narrative thread. Pat Cummins led the SRH pace attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar lined up in RCB colours for the first time. The storylines ran everywhere.

In the end RCB got their season off to the perfect start. They beat SRH by 6 wickets, with Jacob Duffy the standout bowler returning figures of 3 for 22. A packed Chinnaswamy watched the champions begin their title defense in front of a sold out crowd. The rivalry got its next chapter, and it went the way of the home side.

Head to Head Records Across All Venues

Overall SRH vs RCB Head to Head

In 27 IPL matches between these teams, SRH lead 14 to 12 with one no result. SRH hold the overall edge but the gap has closed considerably since 2021. Across the six seasons from 2021 to 2026, the record is almost level.

RCB are stronger at home at Chinnaswamy. SRH dominate in Hyderabad. Neutral venues have generally favoured SRH. The 2026 opener at Chinnaswamy followed the home pattern, with RCB taking the points.

Individual Records That Define This Rivalry

Virat Kohli leads all run scorers in this fixture with more than 800 runs across all seasons. He has scored more runs against SRH than against any other IPL team. David Warner is second with 647 runs, all of them in SRH colours against RCB.

Jonny Bairstow’s 114 off 56 balls in 2019 remains the highest individual innings. Heinrich Klaasen’s 104 is second.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the wicket takers with 19 wickets, by far the most by any bowler in this rivalry. He sits 5 wickets clear of the next bowler on the list. Wanindu Hasaranga’s 5 for 18 in 2022 is the best bowling performance in a single match in this rivalry’s history.

Why This Rivalry Has Grown Into Something Special

Two Completely Different Identities

RCB are cricket’s great romantic heartbreak story. The franchise that waited 18 seasons for a title while having some of the greatest individual players the game has ever seen. Kohli, ABD, Gayle all played for them. The title kept not coming.

And then in 2025 it finally did. That emotional weight makes every RCB match feel like it means something.

SRH are the opposite. Disciplined, strategic, occasionally spectacular. They built their identity on bowling and smart cricket.

Then in 2024 they suddenly became the most explosive batting team in IPL history with 287 and scores above 250 becoming a regular occurrence. The transformation was remarkable.

• RCB play for passion. Their fans show up every season regardless of where the team sits in the table
• SRH play for results. Their identity shifts with whoever is running the squad but the standards stay high
• When these two teams meet the contrast in styles creates genuinely unpredictable cricket

The 2016 Final Still Matters

Eight runs. That is all that separated RCB from their first title in 2016. SRH won it that night. RCB waited nine more years. Every time these teams meet, that 8-run margin is somewhere in the background. Fans remember.

Players who were there remember. It gives the fixture a historical weight that most IPL rivalries simply do not have.

Personal Take as a Cricket Fan

I have watched this rivalry from the first Super Over in 2013. What strikes me most is how consistently it delivers. Other IPL rivalries can have flat seasons where one team dominates and the fixture loses its edge.

SRH vs RCB has never really had that. Even in seasons when one team was clearly better, the matches between them found a way to be close or dramatic or record breaking.

The 2024 match at Chinnaswamy, where SRH posted 287 and RCB replied with 262 in a losing cause, was not just a rivalry match. It was a spectacle. I watched it twice. Both times it felt unreal. And every season they seem to find another way to top it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the head to head record between SRH and RCB in IPL?

In 27 IPL matches between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, SRH lead 14 to 12 with one no result. SRH hold the overall advantage but the record since 2021 is close to level. RCB are stronger at Chinnaswamy while SRH dominate in Hyderabad.

Q2. What happened in the 2016 IPL Final between SRH and RCB?

SRH won the 2016 IPL Final by 8 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. SRH posted 208 for 7 with Ben Cutting hitting 35 not out off 15 balls at the death. RCB chased and reached 200 for 7, falling 8 runs short. SRH lifted their maiden IPL title. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman were the decisive bowlers.

Q3. What is the highest score in a SRH vs RCB match?

Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 287 for 3 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 15, 2024 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the highest team total in IPL history. Travis Head scored 102 off 51 balls. RCB responded with 262 for 7. The combined 549 runs is the highest aggregate in any T20 match ever played in the world.

Q4. Who has scored the most runs in SRH vs RCB matches?

Virat Kohli leads all run scorers in this rivalry with more than 800 runs across all IPL seasons. He has scored more runs against SRH than against any other IPL team. David Warner is second with 647 runs, all scored while playing for SRH against RCB.

Q5. Who has taken the most wickets in SRH vs RCB matches?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads the wicket takers in the SRH vs RCB rivalry with 19 wickets across all seasons, the most by any bowler in this fixture by a clear margin. Wanindu Hasaranga holds the record for the best single match bowling figures with 5 for 18 for RCB against SRH in IPL 2022.

Q6. When did RCB win their first IPL title?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first ever IPL title in 2025, beating Punjab Kings in the final. It came in their 18th IPL season. Rajat Patidar captained the side. The win ended one of cricket’s longest waits for a title given the quality of players RCB had fielded across 18 seasons.

Q7. What is the highest individual score in a SRH vs RCB match?

Jonny Bairstow holds the record for the highest individual score in any SRH vs RCB match, scoring 114 off 56 balls for SRH against RCB in IPL 2019. He and David Warner opened together and dismantled the RCB bowling. SRH won that match by 118 runs, their biggest ever victory over RCB.

Q8. Who won the SRH vs RCB IPL 2026 opener?

RCB beat SRH by 6 wickets in the IPL 2026 opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28, 2026. Jacob Duffy was the standout bowler with 3 for 22. It was the first match of the season and RCB began their title defense with a win in front of a sold out home crowd.

Final Thoughts on the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru Timeline

The Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru timeline is a story built on one 8 run final, one 287 run innings, 19 wickets from one bowler and more than 800 runs from another.

It is a rivalry between a team that found its title in 2016 and a team that waited until 2025. Between a franchise built on bowling discipline and one that has always led with batting star power.

Twenty seven matches. Fourteen wins for SRH. Twelve for RCB. One no result. The 2026 opener at Chinnaswamy went to RCB as champions, and SRH will be waiting for the next chance to settle the score.

This fixture keeps giving. It gave the highest total in IPL history. It gave the most heartbreaking final for one set of fans and the most joyful for another. And it keeps delivering matches that go down to the last over.

As someone who has followed this rivalry since that first Super Over in 2013, the one thing that stands out every single season is this. When SRH and RCB meet, something happens. It always does.