IPL 2026: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, Eliminator – Who Said What?

Rajasthan Royals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the Eliminator clash of Indian Premier League 2026 at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium. After winning the toss, SRH opted to bowl first. Batting first, RR posted a massive total of 243/8 in 20 overs, courtesy of a breathtaking innings from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 97 runs off just 29 balls, including five fours and 12 sixes at an astonishing strike rate of 334.48. Dhruv Jurel also played a crucial knock of 50 runs from 21 deliveries. For SRH, Praful Hinge was the standout bowler with figures of 3/54.

In reply, SRH got off to a strong start but kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy top-scored with 38 runs. For RR, Jofra Archer picked up 3/58, while Nandre Burger, Sushant Mishra, and Ravindra Jadeja claimed two wickets each. RR will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on May 29 in Mullanpur.

Talking Points:

Sooryavanshi’s ‘Khiladi’ assault

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a sensational batting display and tore apart the Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling attack with a breathtaking knock of 97 runs off just 29 balls. The youngster smashed five fours and 12 towering sixes at a phenomenal strike rate of 334.48. He also stitched together a blistering 125-run partnership in just 48 deliveries with Yashasvi Jaiswal for the opening wicket, giving Rajasthan Royals a dream start. With this innings, Sooryavanshi strengthened his hold on the Orange Cap, taking his tally to 680 runs in 15 matches.

Dhruv Jurel’s middle-overs mayhem

After Sooryavanshi’s explosive start, Dhruv Jurel ensured RR maintained the momentum in the middle overs. The wicketkeeper-batter played a fearless knock of 50 runs from just 21 deliveries, hammering five boundaries and three sixes at an impressive strike rate of 238.10. His aggressive approach kept the scoring rate high and helped Rajasthan post a daunting total on the board.

Archer locked in against SRH

Jofra Archer wasted no time in making an impact with the ball and dented SRH’s chase with crucial early breakthroughs. The RR pacer dismissed dangerous batters Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Ishan Kishan in quick succession to put Hyderabad under pressure. Archer finished with figures of 3/58 and continued his impressive season. He now has 24 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 21.42 and currently stands third in the Purple Cap race.

Who said what?

Pat Cummins, Sunrisers Hyderabad (Losing Captain)

Yeah, he played pretty well. We didn’t have too many options. Obviously it was a really good pitch but the margins are so small. Fair play. Ah, not really. It was a pretty good wicket even there at the end. Yeah, I think we really ended up in a well rounded team. Praful and Sakib were awesome throughout the tournament. I think we were one of the youngest teams to make the playoffs ever or something like that. It shows that the coaching group have done a brilliant job, too. It’s great as a captain to see them do well. Yeah, we knew that we had a chance. You needed a few things to go your way in a chase of 240. If there was a pitch and a field to do it, it was this one. I think we stayed on the rate for most part of the innings but we probably lost a couple too many wickets at the wrong time. We gave ourselves a decent chance. Yeah, that’s right. I think we were tiny little bit away from being in the Top 2 as well. You can’t ask for much more. Boys have been fantastic all year. They have played brilliant cricket throughout the season so I can’t ask for anything more.

Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals (Winning Captain)

I like to be a perfectionist. Today we should have got 260, right? Was impressed with the way we bowled, we came back really well. Just leave him alone, he likes batting. He goes on and does his thing. I feel it brings out more from people. When everything is on line, everyone turned up a little more. We keep on having banters. I went up to Jofra and asked him to be a little straighter. He bowls at 150 clicks, and he does his job. Rest tomorrow, we have had a great day. Need to rest and recover.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Player of the Match

We have won, so need to move on with a positive intent. I think a little, not much. Try to keep things simple. Just think about the bowlers and what plans I can have against them. I try to play with good intent and dominate the bowlers. I want to pressurise the bowler. My focus was on contributing for the team. How to win the trophy, that’s my focus now. If I have any weakness, I try to work on that and improve on that aspect of my game.