SRH vs RR, IPL 2026 Eliminator: Rajasthan win by 47 runs, enter qualifier 2 clash

Sushant comes for the last over of the innings here. Again, outside the off stump and Shivang Kumar ends up giving a simple catch to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Now, they face GT in qualifier 2. Take a bow, Sooryavanshi. He played an innings of 97 from 29, and SRH were never going to come back from that.

RR are just one wicket away from Qualifier 2. This time Burger gets rid of Malinga, who skies the ball towards long off. Archer takes a simple catch.

It is quite clear, that if RR want to score big, Sooryavanshi needs to do bulk of the work. Others might, might not chip in, but a lot depends on him.

This match is getting over soon. Jaddu pitches one oustide the off stump, and the batter, Salil Arora can't get the middle of the bat. Hyderabad are 8 down now.

Salil is the last recognised batter here. He might not be able to take them past the finish line, but what is the harm in trying to become a hero. The target is only 90 now.

Sushant has a wicket now. Pitched outside off, and Cummins connects well. Somehow, Archer manages to catch it at the boundary. The batter is stunned.

This match is in RR's grips now. They can't lose from here as Jaddu gets wicket in his very first over. NKR tries to get under the ball, mistimes it and is caught by Dasun Shanaka.

Brijesh again, and he has been greeted by a massive six by Salil Arora. This partnership is certainly brewing. If they can add another 50-60 runs, RR will face the heat. This Salil looks like a serious hitter.

It is not like SRH have lost all. NKR is still there at the crease and he gets 18 runs in Punja over. On the last ball. he plays a reverse pull for a massive six.

Yashraj Punja is introduced now, and he must feel fairly comfortable in getting a couple of wickets. The match is only slipping away from SRH's grip. Here comes the first one. Klaasen attempts a reverse sweep, misses the line, and he is out lbw.

They are falling like decks of cards, much like GT did against RCB yesterday. Archer has blown SRH away. He knocks Head down and has a 3-fer in the powerplay itself. SRH are 4 down in 5 overs. An early ending to the game.

2️⃣ early wickets, 1️⃣ signature celebration 🫶

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The approach of hitting every ball for six can't work. But that's what SRH are doing. Smaran mistimes a flat bat shot and it goes to Archer at mid-on, who tracks back to take a neat catch. It's ending early for SRH. Mind you, they need 192 runs and have just 5 batters left now.

RR were feeling the pressure, but Kishan has made a mistake. He had scored 32 off 7 against Archer but still wanted to take him down. One shot to many and a miscue while attemping to hit a back-of-a-length ball over the off-side leads to an easy catch. Kishan departs for 33 off 11. He had to bat till the powerplay at least, but it's probably game over for SRH now. Meanwhile, in comes Smaran Ravichandran.

Abhishek's wicket hasn't cost SRH one bit. Nandre Burger's wayward bowling has seen them remain on the top. The left-arm quick leaks 19 runs, including 5 wickets, and SRH are 35/1 after 2 overs. The required run rate is under 12 now.

Archer has Ishan Kishan in trouble as well, with one ball landing in no man's land and another one going over the first slip. But Kishan ends up scoring 16 off 4 and SRH have struck back by staying ahead of the run rate.

Perfect start for Jofra Archer. A back of the length away inswinger followed by a sharp bouncer near the armpit and Abhishek Sharma has to walk back. The opener tries to fend the short ball but gloves it to Dhruv Jurel instead. The perfect start for RR and SRH are under pressure from the start.

Abhishek Sharma in IPL Playoffs

• 3 (4)
• 12 (5)
• 2 (5)
• 0 (2)

After the innings, Sooryavanshi was asked whether 244 was enough. He stated that he thought 260 was possible, but RR lost their way a bit. He still thinks the total is enough.

"No (is 243 below bar). After I got out, it still felt it was possible to score 260+. But now, whatever score we have, we will look to defend it and execute whatever plans we have," Sooryavanshi told the broadcasters.

RR have now posted the 2nd highest IPL Playoffs total on the board, behind RCB's 254, which they scored yesterday.

• 254/5 - RCB vs GT, Dharamsala, 2026
• 243/8 - RR vs SRH, Mullanpur, 2026
• 233/3 - GT vs MI, Ahmedabad, 2023
• 228/5 - MI vs GT, Mullanpur, 2025
• 226/6 - PBKS vs CSK, Wankhede, 2014

Rajasthan Royals end up with 243/8 in 20 overs from 125/1 in 8 overs. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi did all the heavy lifting with an outstanding 29-ball 97. But Rajasthan failed him. Dhruv Jurel tried his best with 50 off 21. But then, Riyan Parag (26 off 12), Donovan Ferreira (12 off 9), all failed to take advantage of the situation. Yashasvi Jaiswal also played a slow run-a-ball 29 off 29. RR ended up with just 29/4 in the death overs. 

• Powerplay: 80/0
• Middle overs: 127/3
• Death overs: 36/5

Things go from bad to worse. There is another run out and it's Nandre Burger who departs for 1. Rajasthan have lost five wickets in the last five overs now.

Another wicket goes in the death overs and it's Jofra Archer who falls for 4. He tried to take on Nitish Kumar Reddy but did not get enough bat, and Abhishek Sharma took an excellent catch at the boundary line.

Ravindra Jadeja and Donovan Ferreira were looking for a double but this time, they failed. Ferreira was at least two yards away from the crease, trying to snatch the second and he was run out. He departs for 12 off 9.

He came in with a lot of experience, captaining Sri Lanka. But the Lankan all-rounder hasn't lived up to the expectations in IPL, ever. Today, RR needed him to score some quick runs. But he gives away a catch to Abhishek Sharma off his Sri Lankan teammate Eshan Malinga's delivery. He falls for 5.

A big, big blow for Rajasthan Royals as captain Riyan Parag departs. He tried to take on Praful Hinge on a length delivery. But did not get the timing right. Heinrich Klaasen at the long-on, makes a timely jump to take the catch. Parag departs for 26 off 12.

After Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag is on the move. He takes on Sakib Hussain for a four and a six to score 15 runs off the 15th over. Rajasthan score 207/3 in 15 with five more overs to go.

Jurel has continued where Sooryavanshi left off. He smashes the joint third-fastest fifty in IPL Playoffs history. It's come with a six over point with a cut. But Hinge has the last laugh, just like he did against Sooryavanshi. But a great knock from Jurel, 50 off 21.

He crosses the 500-run mark in the process as well. Jurel has the most 50+ knocks in IPL 2026 for RR. 

Dhruv Jurel has taken charge after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell. With Yashasvi Jaiswal departing after a 29-ball struggle, Riyan parag is also on backfoot. Jurel as quickly moved to 36 off 15 balls.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's wonder show masked Yashasvi Jaiswal's failure today, but not anymore. As the scoring rate dipped after Vaibhav's dismissal, Jaiswal had to go for the big shots. But he miscued a googly by Shivang Kumar and gave away a catch to Abhishek Sharma for 29 off 29. The RR innings saw the best and the worst batting show in the first 10 overs. RR 137/2.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses out on a huge record. He was on track to break Chris Gayle's fastest century record of 30 balls. But as he tried to take on Praful Hinge on a slower delivery, he got a top edge and R Smaran did not make any mistake. Before he fell, he ripped Praful Hinge apart with 28 runs. But Hinge gets the wicket for consolation. Vaibhav's 97-run knock had 12 sixes and 4 fours. 

If you missed out on the Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Pat Cummins duel, here it is. It was no duel at all for the 15-year-old. He has already moved to 71 off just 23 balls.

He's just getting started 😉

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 🆚 Pat Cummins 🍿

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It's all Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's power in the powerplay as Rajasthan Royals post 80/0 in the powerplay. Vaibhav scored 60 of them, while Jaiswal watched him from the other end, scoring 19 off 16.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi brings up his fourth half-century of IPL 2026 off 16 balls, rather slow by his standard. But he smashes Sakib Hussain for two consecutive sixes to get to the milestone. And in the process, he also breaks Chris Gayle's record of most sixes in an IPL season. 

Most sixes in an IPL season
61* - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (2026)
59 - Chris Gayle (2012)
52 - Andre Russell (2019)
51 - Chris Gayle (2013)
45 - Jos Buttler (2022)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has scored 42 runs and he brings up a 50-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 4th over.

Pat Cummins said that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was his new favourite player. He might not be so generous after today. Vaibhav takes him on for a 4, 6, 6 and 6 in his 2nd over. RR score 25 runs off Cummins' second over.

As has been the case with the top bowlers, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi salutes them with a six. Today, he takes on Pat Cummins for a six on the 2nd ball.

Last time RR faced SRH, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed for a golden duck. Today, he will be the key for RR if they are to win. RR need a good start and without Sooryavanshi, they won't get that.

Sunrisers Hyderabad bring back Praful Hinge to the Playing XI. SRH are playing with four pacers and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Shivang Kumar is the sole spinner. 

Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge

Impact player options: Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel

Ravindra Jadeja is back in the Playing XI, while Shubham Dubey goes back to the Impact player bench. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja

Impact player options: Shubham Dubey, Sushant Mishra, Amanal Perala, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins wins the toss and opts to bowl against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. Praful Hinge returns for Hyderabad.

🚨 Toss 🚨@SunRisers won the toss and elected to field against @rajasthanroyals

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The SRH vs RR match could well be decided in the powerplay. Rajasthan Royals have Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, while Sunrisers Hyderabad have Abhishek Sharma. The two left-hand openers will be the treat for fans. Vaibhav and Abhishek are at the top in strike rate in the powerplay. Vaibhav strikes at 231.2, while Abhishek has a strike rate of 217.1 in the powerplay. The 15-year-old is slightly ahead in 2026 with 583 runs and a strike rate of 232.27. Both have already smashed a century each. Will they do it again today?

Stats	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi	Abhishek Sharma
Inn	14	14
Runs	583	563
SR	232.27	206.22
Avg	41.64	43.3
HS	103	135
50/100	3/1	4/1

We are less than half an hour away from the toss in Mullanpur, at 7 PM. It is a chasing venue. In IPL 2026, three out of four matches resulted in chasing teams winning. With the high-scoring rate of 10.48 runs per over, three out of four matches at this venue produced 200+ totals. The average first innings score is 214 and despite that, chasing teams have managed to win. As both SRH and RR have some power hitters, especially in the powerplay, they will fancy chasing.

Rajasthan Royals had the opposite arc. Four wins from their first four games, and they looked like the team of the season. Then a slow fade before RR scraped through on the final day of the league stage. Riyan Parag will be leaning on two things tonight: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at the top, who has been the tournament's most electric teenager, and Jofra Archer with the new ball, who is capable of disrupting any batting lineup on his day. 

A neutral venue helps RR. Mullanpur belongs to neither side, and knockout pressure has a way of levelling things that league results don't always show. SRH hold the form advantage and the head-to-head advantage. But RR are a side that started 4-0 for a reason, and they haven't forgotten how to play good cricket. This one should be tight.

Third against fourth. But the two sides got here very differently. SRH started slowly and built through the season, arriving at the knockouts on the back of a dominant winning streak. Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan have given them the most destructive batting lineup in the tournament. Pat Cummins' leadership has added structure to a side that can look difficult to stop when they're moving. The psychological edge is real, too. SRH beat RR twice in the league stage, by 57 runs and five wickets respectively. That's a number Rajasthan will need to forget quickly.

Four matches at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur this season, and one thing is evident. Batters will have a field day. But don’t rule pacers out. 

The powerplay number is the one that stands out. A run rate of 11.88 with a wicket falling only every 48.2 balls means openers at this venue have been batting with near-total freedom in the first six overs. If Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head get going, or Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal are clicking, the first six overs could effectively set up the whole game.

The middle overs are where bowling sides have had their best chance. Twenty-three wickets from 433 balls, one every 18.8 deliveries. That's where Ravindra Jadeja or Ravi Bishnoi can click. SRH’s Eshan Malinga could also be an important factor at this venue. 

Death overs spike back up to 11.10 with wickets falling at the same rate as the middle phase, one every 18.8 balls. Batters are going for it and getting out, but still scoring at over 11 an over. Bowlers at the death simply have to accept they'll go for runs. The game is about limiting the damage, not stopping it entirely.

The toss call is obvious. Bowl first, 75% of the time the chasing side wins. Both captains know this. Whoever wins the coin toss fields.

• Average 1st innings score: 203
• Overall run rate: 10.48
• Boundary %: 23.7%
• Wickets per match: 10.8
• Chasing record: Won 3 from 4 (75%)
• Toss winners: Won 3 from 4 (75%)
• Toss preference: Bowl first

SRH have historically dominated this fixture, and IPL 2026 has continued that trend. 14-9 overall, both games this season. If RR are going to break this pattern, tonight is the night. Hyderabad won both matches against Rajasthan in IPL 2026, by 57 runs and 5 wickets.

Sunrisers Hyderabad are on a six-match winning streak against Rajasthan Royals since 2022.