(Corrections made to the over count in the previous updates)

SRH 43/1 after 5 overs: Kane Williamson is putting on quite the show here in the powerplay with his elegance! Some superb timing on display. 4-1-wd-1-wd-1-4 in that Garton over, he has gone for plenty in the first two overs despite the wicket. A boundary for Roy too in there.

SRH 26/1 after 4 overs: Shabhaz with an over of spin, with two right handers in the middle. Just three runs.

SRH 23/1 after 3 overs: A drive through the offside that makes you feel all is right with the world. Kane Williamson can do that. Another boundary in that Siraj over, taking on the short ball.

STAT: RCB’S first wicket in the powerplay since the IPL moved to UAE (via the broadcasters)

Over 1.5: WICKET! Abhishek Sharma (13) c Glenn Maxwell b George Garton, 14/1

4-6-0-2-OUT Abhishek Sharma goes after George Garton in the 2nd over, but falls eventually going for one shot too many. A good cameo, but he’s dismissed for 13 off 10. Had a reprieve just the previous ball too with Siraj putting down a difficult chance at long leg. Pushed his luck a bit too much, the youngster.

SRH 2/0 after 1 over: Good start from Siraj, working the angle nicely with the leftie Abhishek. Just a couple of singles, one of those from a ricocheted throw.

This is Sunrisers’ first match in Abu Dhabi. It is Jason Roy, Abhishek Sharma is his opening partner today. A right-left combination. Interesting move from SRH.

Recent head to head: In the last 5 matches, it is 3-2 for RCB.

Playing XIs

SRH: Jason Roy, Wriddhiman Saha, Priyam Garg, Kane Williamson, Abhishek Sharma, Jason Holder, Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik, Siddharth Kaul

RCB: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Dan Christian, Glenn Maxwell, AB de Villiers, KS Bharat, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, Harshal Patel, Md Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

TOSS: Virat Kohli wins the toss, opts to bowl first in Abu Dhabi. RCB unchanged for this one, given they are hoping for a big win.

Team Pld Won Lost Net RR Pts
Q DC 13 10 3 +0.526 20
Q CSK 13 9 4 +0.739 18
Q RCB 12 8 4 -0.157 16
4 KKR 13 6 7 +0.294 12
5 MI 13 6 7 -0.048 12
6 PBKS 13 5 8 -0.241 10
7 RR 13 5 8 -0.737 10
8 SRH 12 2 10 -0.475 4

Top two scenarios: Royal Challengers Bangalore (Q)

Remaining matches: SRH (Abu Dhabi), DC (Dubai)

There are no astronomical calculations this time for post-season this time around. As the third team with playoff qualification assured, RCB’s equation is simple. Win both remaining matches, and hope Punjab can also beat CSK in the meantime. That gives Virat Kohli and Co a spot in the top two ahead of CSK.

A three-way tie for 20 points is not going to be in favour of RCB after some of their heavy defeats during the season. If CSK defeat PBKS before RCB take to the field on Friday, the equation would have to be calculated then to figure out the quantum of win needed. (Likely to be massive).

06.45 pm: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of match No 52 of Indian Premier League 2021 in Abu Dhabi, where Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Sunrisers Hyderabad.

There is nothing to left to play for SRH in the league, given they were eliminated a while back. But they do have the small task of getting past 4 points in the tally, which is the worst in the IPL group phase history.

For RCB, it is a must-win match if they would like a top two finish and the extra cushion. But having already assured a place in the playoffs, they can play without the pressure of points table.

IPL 2021 playoff scenarios: Battle on for top two; KKR hold edge over MI for last spot