IPL 2023: 3 landmarks that can be achieved in tonight's SRH vs RCB fixture
Crucial points will be up for grabs when the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Match 65 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) season. The much-awaited fixture will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, May 18.
It has been a horrid season for the Orange Army so far. Hyderabad, who will be playing their last home game of the season on Thursday, are languishing at the bottom of the table with only four wins in 12 games. They will enter this game on the back of a defeat against the table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT).
RCB, meanwhile, will be high on confidence following their massive 112-run triumph over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their previous outing. They are placed in the fifth position with 12 points and an NRR of +0.166.
The Royal Challengers will have an excellent chance of making it to the playoffs if they win on Thursday. However, they hold a dismal record in Hyderabad in the league, winning just one out of their seven fixtures at this venue.
Every IPL game offers both teams a chance to reach a certain milestone and some records are on the verge of being shattered during the upcoming game as well.
On that note, let's take a look at the top three milestones that could be reached in tonight's SRH vs RCB fixture.
#3 Faf du Plessis could become RCB's fifth-highest run-getter of all-time in the IPL
![Faf du Plessis has been incredibly consistent for Bangalore and has enjoyed an excellent IPL 2023 campaign [Credits: IPLT20]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/1a165-16843782570142-1920.jpg?w=500)
Ever since joining RCB last year in IPL 2022, Faf du Plessis has been leading from the front. He has done a remarkable job in amassing runs consistently at the top.
So far, Du Plessis has racked up 1,099 runs across just 28 IPL innings. He averages 42.27 and has a strike rate of over 141 for the franchise.
If the RCB skipper manages to score at least 34 runs more against SRH on Thursday, Du Plessis will surpass his countryman Jacques Kallis' tally of 1,132 runs. By doing so, he will become the franchise's fifth-highest run-getter of all-time in IPL.
Kallis scored 1,132 runs at an average of 31.2 for the Royal Challengers across 42 innings before going on to play for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
#2 SRH veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar could become the second-highest wicket-taking pacer in IPL history
![Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of SRH's go-to bowlers over the past few seasons [Credits: IPLT20]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/6d2cc-16843785758322-1920.jpg)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has undoubtedly been one of the most underrated players in the history of the league. It's been over 12 years since he made his debut in the IPL and he has continued to be a consistent performer with the ball.
Having played 158 IPL games, Bhuvneshwar has picked up 168 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.36. This is the third-most by any pacer in IPL history behind Dwayne Bravo and Lasith Malinga's 183 and 170 wickets, respectively.
If Bhuvneshwar picks up three wickets against RCB, the SRH pacer will surpass Malinga's tally. By doing so, he will become the second-leading wicket-taking pacer in the history of the marquee tournament.
Fresh off his second IPL five-wicket haul against the Titans in SRH's last outing, Bhuvneshwar will be keen to continue his wicket-taking spree.
#1 Virat Kohli could complete 7,500 T20 runs for RCB
![Virat Kohli has scored runs aplenty this season, forging an excellent opening partnership with Faf du Plessis [Credits: IPLT20]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/05/f777a-16843791625643-1920.jpg)
The Royal Challengers Bangalore have been synonymous with Virat Kohli. The modern-day master has been part of the franchise since its inception in 2008 and has been their lynchpin.
Kohli could script himself into the history books in tonight's clash in Hyderabad. Across 241 innings for RCB, the former RCB skipper has made 7,486 runs at an average of 36.51 at a strike rate of 130.32.
Fourteen more runs will take Kohli to 7,500 runs for the Royal Challengers, thus making him the first-ever player to do so. He will be looking to get those runs when his side take on SRH on Thursday.
Out of Kohli's 7,486 runs, 7,062 have come in the IPL, while the other 424 runs were scored in the now-defunct Champions League T20.