IPL 2026: Sooryavanshi’s Record Knock Sends RR Into Qualifier 2, SRH Eliminated

A sensational 97 in 29 balls from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and exceptional bowling performances from Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger helped Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 47 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Eliminator at Mullanpur on Wednesday.

With this loss, SRH has been eliminated from the tournament, while Rajasthan Royals will battle Gujarat Titans in Qualifier two on Friday for a spot in the final against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

After GT was put to bat first by SRH, Sooryavanshi (97 in 29 balls, with five fours and 12 sixes) and Dhruv Jurel (50 in 21 balls, with five fours and three sixes) played magnificent knocks as RR marched to 243/8 in 20 overs.

During the chase, SRH sunk to 57/4 in the powerplay itself, despite a brief counter-attack from Ishan Kishan (33 in 11 balls, with three fours and three sixes). Archer (3/58) and Burger (2/26) were central to RR's success with the ball, skittling out SRH for just 196 in 19.2 overs.

Chasing 244, Jofra Archer struck for RR on the second ball, getting Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck. SRH was 0/1 in 0.2 overs. Ishan Kishan ended the over with a counter-attack, hitting Archer for two fours and a six.

Travis also got a four and six off Nandre Burger before Kishan once again smashed Archer for a six and two fours to start the third over.

However, Archer struck again, breaking the 50-run stand to remove Kishan for a 11-ball 33, with three fours and sixes each. SRH was 51/2 in 2.5 overs.

The Burger-Archer duo continued to trouble SRH, dismissing Smaran Ravichandran for just one. SRH were 52/3 in 3.3 overs.

Archer continued to make merry, removing Head for an eight-ball 17 in the fifth over, with SRH down at 57/4 in 4.4 overs.

At the end of six overs, SRH were 71/4, with Heinrich Klaasen (11*) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (3*) unbeaten.

Heinrich and Nitish tried building a partnership, but Yash Raj Punja stopped Klaasen with a sensational lbw dismissal for just 18 in 10 balls. Half of the SRH side was down at 83 runs in 6.5 overs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy continued to fight, picking two fours against Sushant Mishra in the eighth over and two fours and a six against Yash Raj in the next, bringing up SRH's 100-run mark in 8.3 overs.

Salil Arora at the other end, also carted Brijesh Sharma for two fours and a six in the 10th over, bringing up the 50-run stand in 18 balls. At the end of 10 overs, SRH was 132/5, with Nitish Kumar (35*) and Salil (20*) unbeaten.

The 56-run stand was ended by Ravindra Jadeja, who got Nitish caught for 20-ball 38 by Dasun Shanaka at deep mid-wicket, with three fours and two sixes. SRH was 137/6 in 10.5 overs. In the next over, Sushant got Pat Cummins for one in two balls, reducing SRH to 139/7 in 11.1 overs.

SRH reached the 150-run mark in 13.2 overs. Another partnership was cut short at 24 runs by Jadeja, who removed Salil for a 21-ball 35 with two fours and two sixes. SRH was 163/8 in 14.4 overs.

Shivang Kumar and Eshan Malinga carried the chase forward, with Shivang playing some fine shots. However, Burger got his second wicket, removing Eshan for just five. SRH was 187/9 in 17.3 overs.

Sushant Mishra took the final wicket of SRH, removing Shivang Kumar for 27, with a fantastic catch from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. SRH was all out for 196 in 19.2 overs.

Archer (3/58) and Burger (2/26) were sensational with the ball. Sushant Mishra and Jadeja also got two wickets.

"I think all of the guys bowled alright. We stuck to our plans, we stuck to our lengths and we were rewarded tonight," Archer said after the game.

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a breathtaking masterclass, smashing a sensational 29-ball 97 to power RR to a commanding total of 243/8.

(With inputs from ANI)