Sunrisers Hyderabad finished the IPL league stage in second place, just behind table-toppers Kolkata Knight Riders, after securing a thrilling four-wicket win against Punjab Kings on Sunday. Hyderabad's win was pivotal as they narrowly edged out Rajasthan Royals for the second spot based on net run-rate after Rajasthan's final league match against Kolkata was abandoned due to rain in Guwahati without a single ball being bowled.

Chasing a challenging target of 215 for victory, Hyderabad, already assured of a play-off spot, relied heavily on Abhishek Sharma's brilliant 66 to reach the target with five balls to spare at their home ground. Captain Pat Cummins praised his team's performance, stating, "We've had a lot of fun and played some really great cricket. It's satisfying and exciting to be in the play-offs."

Kolkata and Hyderabad are set to clash in the first qualifier on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the final on May 26 in Chennai. The loser will have another opportunity to reach the final by playing the winner of the eliminator in the second qualifier. Rajasthan, who have been on a poor run with no wins in their last five matches, will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.

Abhishek Sharma, a standout performer for Hyderabad with 467 runs this season including three half-centuries, took control of the chase after Travis Head was dismissed for a first-ball duck. Cummins lauded Abhishek's fearless batting, saying, "He is amazing. I wouldn't want to bowl to him. It's scary as he plays with freedom, not only against pacers but also against spinners."

Abhishek's quickfire 50 came off just 21 balls, featuring five fours and six sixes in his 28-ball blitz, which set the foundation for Hyderabad's chase. He formed a crucial 72-run partnership with Rahul Tripathi, who contributed 33 runs, before Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen stabilized the innings and pushed towards victory. Klaasen's 42-run knock was vital before he was dismissed in the 19th over, and Sanvir Singh eventually guided the team to victory.

Earlier, Punjab Kings posted a formidable total of 214-5, largely thanks to Prabhsimran Singh's 71 off 45 balls, which provided a solid platform for their innings. Prabhsimran shared a key 54-run partnership with South African batsman Rilee Rossouw, who scored 49 runs off 24 balls with three fours and four sixes. Acting captain Jitesh Sharma, standing in for Sam Curran who had returned to England, further boosted the score with a quickfire 32 off 15 balls, including two sixes.

Left-arm medium-pacer T. Natarajan was the standout bowler for Hyderabad, claiming 2-33 in his four overs.

In the second match of the day at Guwahati, persistent rain prevented any play between Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, leading to the game being called off after an attempt to stage a seven-over-a-side match was thwarted by another rain spell. Kolkata had won the toss and chosen to field before the match was eventually abandoned.