IPL 2026 Eliminator: SRH vs RR Updates: RR seal dominant win

RR are through to Qualifier 2, while SRH's campaign comes to an end.

A ruthless, clinical performance from Rajasthan Royals -- a complete 47-run victory and a statement win in the Eliminator. The dressing room is all smiles as they celebrate a deserved place in the next stage.

At the heart of it all was a sensational innings from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. His breathtaking 97 off just 29 balls tore the game open and powered RR to 243 -- a total that, astonishingly, felt slightly undercooked given how freely he struck it.

From there, RR never let go of control. The bowlers kept striking at regular intervals, never allowing SRH to build any real momentum in the chase.

In the end, it's a commanding all-round display.

Burger continues...Malinga gets a thick outside edge and it runs down to deep third for a single. Shivang also picks one up, nudging it to deep point.

But that's the end of Malinga's resistance.

Archer strikes again!

Back of a length, outside off -- Malinga tries to go downtown by backing away, but mistimes it completely. He spoons it straight up, and Archer at mid-off backpedals calmly to complete the catch.

Malinga departs for 5 off 8 balls. A crucial wicket at a crucial time.

Sakib is the last man in.

He swings and misses...Then he finally connects -- a boundary!

He tries to flick the next on the off side, but it's well fielded, no run.

Just 6 runs and a wicket from the over.

After 18 overs, SRH are 191 for 9, needing 53 from 12 balls -- RR on the verge now.

Sushant Mishra has the ball for the final over -- SRH need 49 off it.

He starts with a wide, adding a bit of extra pressure.

Shivang swings and misses at the next delivery ...And that's it -- straight to short third man, and fittingly it's Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who takes the catch to seal it.

Shivang departs for 27 off 24 balls.

That's the final wicket, and Rajasthan Royals wrap it up in style -- winning by 47 runs with 4 balls to spare.

A dominant all-round performance and a clinical finish to the Eliminator.

Yash Raj Punja continues...Shivang starts by working one down towards long-on for a single.

Malinga swings hard but misses.

Punja tosses up a googly outside off -- Malinga tries to guide it but can't connect again.

Shivang then cuts it towards deep point for a single.

The batters rotate strike again -- just 4 runs come off the over.

After 16 overs, SRH are 169 for 8, needing 75 from 24 balls.

Archer is back into the attack...Malinga chips one over the covers for a single.

And then Shivang explodes!

Back-to-back boundaries -- first over midwicket for two runs, then a powerful pull for four more!

Going down the leg side -- wide called.

A dot ball to finish the over.

16 runs come off it. After 17 overs, SRH are 185 for 8, needing 59 from 18 balls -- still a slim flicker of hope, but RR remain firmly in control.

Jadeja continues...Starts with one way outside off -- wide called.

Arora and Shivang then exchange a single each as SRH try to keep the chase alive.

And Arora goes big! A huge SIX launched deep into the stands.

But Jadeja responds immediately!

WICKET! Arora holes out to Nandre Burger at deep extra cover.

That's Jadeja's second wicket of the night, and RR are inching closer to a commanding win.

A clever setup from the veteran -- slowing it up, dragging the line wider, and using all his experience under pressure.

Arora departs for 35 off 21 balls after a fighting cameo.

Jadeja continues...Shivang works one down to long-off for a single.

Arora looks to settle in but finds himself tied down -- three dot balls in a row as Jadeja keeps things tight.

The batters finally exchange a single each towards the end of the over.

Just 3 runs come off it. After 13 overs, SRH are 148 for 7, and the chase is slipping away quickly.

After the timeout, Punja is brought back into the attack.

Shivang pulls one to deep midwicket for a single.

A delivery drifting down the leg side is called wide.

Arora skies one awkwardly, but there's no fielder at cover, allowing him to escape with a single.

Shivang pushes one straight back to the bowler before taking a single to end the over.

Only 5 runs come off it.

After 14 overs, SRH are 153 for 7, needing 91 from 36 balls.

Sushant Mishra is back into the attack...He starts with one drifting down the leg side -- wide called.

And Jofra Archer can do absolutely no wrong tonight!

Cummins tries to take him on but holes out to long-on, where Archer takes a superb catch to add to his incredible evening.

Cummins departs for just 1 off 2 balls.

The disappointment in the SRH camp is clear now. The run rate has stayed healthy, but the constant fall of wickets has completely hurt the chase.

Shivang Kumar is the new batter.

Another one down the leg side -- wide called again.

Shivang then defends a couple solidly before finally sweeping one away for a single.

Brijesh Sharma is back into the attack...Salil Arora takes him on immediately -- a huge SIX to start the over!

He follows it up with a boundary, keeping the pressure firmly on RR.

One delivery drifts just outside the tramline -- wide called.

Arora then works one away to deep backward square for a single, and Nitish Kumar Reddy adds another single to keep strike rotating.

Arora finishes strongly with yet another boundary before a single closes the over.

18 runs come off it. After 10 overs, SRH are 132 for 5, needing 112 from 60 balls.

SRH are still very much in this -- it all rests on these batters now.

Jadeja comes on from around the wicket.

The batters begin cautiously, dealing mostly in singles.

And then Jadeja strikes!

Nitish Reddy looks to go across the line, but Dasun Shanaka puts in a superb diving effort at deep midwicket to complete the catch.

Smart bowling from Jadeja -- experience showing at a crucial moment.

Nitish departs for 38 off 20 balls, and the partnership is broken.

SRH slip to 137 for 6, needing 107 from 55 balls.

Pat Cummins walks in and gets off the mark with a quick single.

6 runs and a wicket come off the over. After 11 overs, SRH are 138 for 6, needing 106 from 54 balls.

Yash Raj Punja continues...Nitish Kumar Reddy drives down to long-on for a single.

Arora follows with one of his own towards long-on as SRH keep rotating strike.

Then Reddy breaks free -- a cracking boundary!

He blocks the next ball calmly, before launching into the over again...SIX!

And another SIX right after that -- glorious timing, pure clean hitting from Nitish Kumar Reddy.

A massive over for SRH -- 18 runs come off it.

After 9 overs, SRH are 114 for 5, needing 130 from 66 balls.

Time for the strategic timeout, and this chase is very much alive again.

RR's Impact Player, left-arm quick Sushant Mishra, is brought into the attack now.

Nitish Kumar Reddy welcomes him in style -- back-to-back boundaries straight away!

He then steers one down to third man for a single.

Salil Arora taps one in front of extra cover and takes a very risky single. The fielder tries to kick it onto the stumps and nearly pulls it off -- had that connected, Arora would've been gone.

Reddy keeps the pressure on, pulling one through square leg for a couple of runs before taking a single to end the over.

13 runs come off it. After 8 overs, SRH are 96 for 5.

Brijesh Sharma comes into the attack..Nitish Kumar Reddy and Klaasen rotate strike with a single each. Klaasen then breaks free -- a crisp boundary! He follows it up with a couple more runs, keeping the scoreboard moving.

A decent over for SRH -- 9 runs come off it. After 6 overs, they are 71 for 4, needing 173 from 84 balls.

Yash Raj Punja comes on to bowl now...Reddy pulls it towards midwicket for a single -- SRH are trying to rebuild this partnership.

Klaasen works one towards long-off for a single as well.

A wide is called down the leg side.

Reddy then sweeps for a single to keep things ticking.

And Klaasen goes big again -- a massive SIX! Perfect timing, placed beautifully.

But Punja fights back! Klaasen goes for the reverse, misses and he's struck in front! Punja goes up in appeal -- the umpire is unsure, but SRH take the review.

No bat involved ball tracking confirms it's hitting off stump!

The decision is overturned -- Klaasen is gone for 18 off 10 balls.

A huge moment for the young Yash Raj Punja, removing SRH's key spin-hitter just as he was looking dangerous.

Archer continues...Head punches one towards cover -- no run.

Next ball, he makes room and carves it away for a boundary. Pure intent.

But Archer strikes back immediately!

Head goes for the cut again, but this time he's completely beaten for pace and movement -- clean bowled!

That's Archer's third wicket already. He has dismantled this chase in his first three overs -- Abhishek, Kishan, and now Travis Head.

SRH are in deep trouble. Head departs for 17 off 8 balls.

Nitish Kumar Reddy walks in and gets off the mark with a single.

Nandre Burger continues...Smaran gets right behind the line and defends towards cover-point -- but he's beaten again!

And he's gone! Caught by Jofra Archer!

SRH are in serious trouble now -- three wickets down inside the first four overs.

Burger goes short of a length again, outside off. Smaran tries to flat-bat it down the ground, but he mistimes it badly. It balloons towards mid-on where Archer takes a few calm steps back and completes a simple catch.

Smaran departs for 1 off 4 balls.

Heinrich Klaasen walks in next -- a massive moment in the innings as SRH look to recover from early blows.

Archer continues...Kishan greets him immediately with a boundary. And he backs it up in style -- a massive SIX!

Archer is already searching for answers.

Kishan then drives one straight to cover -- no run.

But he's not done yet he goes aerial again! The fielder gets under it, and there's a moment of hesitation, but the ball keeps carrying and it sails over for SIX!

Archer finally strikes back!

Kishan goes once more, but this time he's caught by Donovan Ferreira. He departs for a blistering 33 off 11 balls.

A crucial breakthrough for RR, just as SRH were accelerating.

Nandre Burger comes into the attack from the other end.

Travis Head starts with a flick into the midwicket region -- a couple of runs there.

Next ball, he's beaten but it still runs away for four!

He nudges the next towards midwicket for a single to rotate strike.

Then Head switches gears -- a huge SIX, clean and powerful!

And he backs it up immediately with a boundary. No stopping him once he gets going.

A massive over for SRH -- 19 runs come off it.

After 2 overs, SRH are 35 for 1, needing 209 from 108 balls.

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head are out in the middle, with Abhishek on strike.

Jofra Archer takes the new ball and begins with real pace and intent.

Abhishek looks to go big early -- trying to loft it over cover -- but he doesn't get hold of it. No run.

Next ball -- has he edged that down the leg side? It's a sharp chance!

Jurel reacts quickly behind the stumps and takes a brilliant catch. Archer is already off in celebration.

Abhishek Sharma is gone for a duck -- a massive early breakthrough for RR.

Burger is the new batter. Sakib has the ball for the final over.

Jadeja starts with a single towards deep midwicket.

They push for two on the next -- but it's a disaster! Burger is RUN OUT trying to come back. He departs for 1 off 1 ball.

At one stage, RR were eyeing 250+, but SRH have dragged things right back.

Sushant Mishra comes in as an Impact Sub, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal.

He swings and misses first ball -- another swing, another miss -- two dots to start.

He finally gets a single to get RR off strike.

Jadeja takes strike for the last ball but it's messy -- just two leg byes in the end.

A tight finish from SRH.

Just 4 runs from the final over. After 20 overs, RR finish on 243 for 8.

Cummins comes back into the attack...Ferreira flicks it towards backward square, and there's a mix-up -- both batters hesitate, but they get away with it. Jadeja was ball-watching and didn't realise Ferreira was already turning back -- a lucky escape.

Ferreira then takes a single towards long-off.

Jadeja follows with a couple of runs, then squeezes a few more towards long-on -- well placed, but the fielder does well to cut it off and limit it to two.

And Jadeja finishes the over in style with a boundary!

13 runs come off it. After 18 overs, RR are 233 for 5.

Nitish Kumar Reddy comes on to bowl the penultimate over...Ferreira tries to take on the second run but looks in trouble -- and he's RUN OUT!

Excellent work in the field from Shivang Kumar and Ishan Kishan. Ferreira departs for 12 off 9 balls.

A big moment right at the death as SRH strike again.

Malinga is brought back into the attack...It's gone high in the air -- but it doesn't have the distance! Shanaka mistimes it and pays the price early in his innings.

And it's his compatriot who makes no mistake -- Abhishek Sharma settles under it and takes a safe catch.

Shanaka departs for 5 off 3 balls. A short stay at the crease.

Back-to-back wickets for SRH, and suddenly they're clawing their way back into the contest.

Ravindra Jadeja walks in now -- plenty of experience at the crease, and a crucial phase of the innings ahead.

After the timeout, Sakib is back into the attack.

Parag gets one away in the air, but it falls safely in the gap -- he'll pick up a couple of runs. The batters then rotate strike with a single each.

Parag then shifts gears -- a cracking boundary brings up 200 for RR!

And he follows it up immediately… SIX! Clean, powerful strike.

A single to finish the over. 15 runs come off it. After 15 overs, RR are 207 for 3, still in a strong position.

Hinge continues...Good length, angled in -- Parag is pinned on the pads, no run.

Next ball, he goes for it but doesn't get the distance! Holes out to Klaasen at long-on, and it's a comfortable catch.

Parag departs for 26 off 12 balls. A timely breakthrough for SRH.

Hinge is back into the attack. Jurel greets him immediately with a boundary, continuing his aggressive intent. He then rotates strike with a single.

Riyan Parag sweeps it fine towards deep midwicket for one.

And then Jurel goes again -- just clears deep backward point for SIX!

With that, he brings up a blistering fifty off just 20 balls.

But the celebration is short-lived… Jurel goes for one shot too many and is caught by Nitish Reddy. He departs for 50 off 21 balls.

Hinge strikes for a second time.

Donovan Ferreira walks in, ducks under a sharp bouncer safely.

12 runs and a wicket come off the over. After 14 overs, RR are 192 for 3.

Cummins is back into the attack, over the wicket...Jurel cuts it but straight to backward point -- Travis Head is quick to stop it, no run.

Then Jurel changes gears -- a cheeky boundary, finds the gap and beats the chase.

He squeezes out a couple more with smart placement.

And now he goes big again -- SIX!

Followed immediately by FOUR more -- that's pure class!

A single to finish the over.

17 runs come off it. After 12 overs, RR are 168 for 2 and still going strong.

Malinga is brought back...Jurel greets him with a boundary straight away.

He leaves the next delivery alone -- wide called down the leg side.

He then mistimes one into the air, but it doesn't carry or race away -- just a couple of runs as the fielder tracks it down.

Back to a single to keep strike rotating.

The skipper joins in now -- a boundary from Riyan Parag!

A dot ball ends the over.

12 runs come off it. After 13 overs, RR are 180 for 2, firmly in control.

RR 151-2 (11 Ovs) vs SRH | SCORECARD

Spin introduced for the first time tonight-- Shivang Kumar comes into the attack.

Jaiswal and the new batter Jurel rotate strike early, trading a single each. A quieter over overall after the Sooryavanshi fireworks -- just 4 runs off it. After 9 overs, RR are 129 for 1.

Now Reddy into the attack. Jurel greets him with a crisp boundary -- finds the gap nicely!

He follows it up with a single.

But RR can't keep the momentum flowing every ball -- a couple of deliveries find fielders, no runs there.

Jaiswal then drives it to point and comes back for a couple.

He negotiates the last two deliveries safely.

7 runs come off the over. After 10 overs, RR are 136 for 1.

Sakib is back into the attack. Sooryavanshi nudges it through cover for a single. Jaiswal responds instantly with a cracking boundary.

He then survives a good delivery, before steering one to backward point and sneaking a risky single.

Sooryavanshi joins the act -- pulls it square and that's another boundary!

And just when you think the over is settling, he finishes it in brutal fashion -- a massive SIX!

16 runs come off it. After 7 overs, RR are 96 without loss, still cruising.

Hinge continues. Jaiswal is straight into it, driven out to the off-side sweeper for a single.

And then the Vaibhav show continues.

Another SIX!

A wide down the leg side is called.

Then a no-ball for height -- and that's dispatched for four more.

Free hit coming up-- SIX again!

He's into the 90s now -- 97 off just 28 balls!

And there it ends. Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi -- OUT! Caught by Smaran Ravichandran.

A stunned silence. He stands there, visibly disappointed, almost in disbelief as he walks off, 97 off 29 balls -- a breathtaking knock.

29 runs come off the over. After 8 overs, RR are 125 for 1.

Praful Hinge comes into the attack for the first time today.

Jaiswal goes for it but misses… next ball he drives firmly to mid-off -- no run.

Then comes a bit of audacity! Jaiswal improvises, scoops it over the keeper and fine on the leg side for four. That was cheeky, and it works!

He follows it up with a single.

Sooryavanshi then nudges one towards midwicket for a run.

A dot ball to finish the over.

Just 6 runs come off it -- a good over for SRH as they momentarily slow the RR charge. Or have they?

At the end of the powerplay, RR are 80 without loss.

Sakib Hussain comes into the attack, and Pat Cummins has a quick word with him before the over begins.

First ball -- a well-directed yorker -- and Sooryavanshi gets right behind it, solid defence.

Next delivery… he just clears his front leg and SMASHES it for a huge SIX!

With that strike, he draws level with Chris Gayle for most sixes in a T20 tournament -- incredible hitting on the big stage.

Hussain goes slightly fuller next, good length outside off, angling across. Sooryavanshi goes after it but can't connect this time.

He tries again, looking to be early on the pull -- and misses once more.

But the bowler misses his length again… and that's punished! BACK-TO-BACK SIXES!

What a statement -- a 16-ball half-century in an Eliminator from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi!

RR continue to surge -- 18 off the over. After 4 overs, they're 63 without loss, absolutely flying.

Cummins continues. Jaiswal leans into a cover drive for a single to get things started.

Sooryavanshi then finds his rhythm -- FOUR! He times it perfectly, picking the gap with ease.

Next one is sprayed wide outside off stump. Sooryavanshi lets it go, wide called.

And then he absolutely launches it -- a towering SIX over long-on!

With that strike, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becomes the youngest player to reach 600 IPL runs in a single season, going past Rishabh Pant's mark from 2018.

He's not done yet -- back-to-back SIXES! A hat-trick of sixes in the making and he completes it in style!

A single to finish the over.

What an over from RR -- 25 runs come off it. After 3 overs, they're 45 without loss, and flying.

Eshan Malinga comes on from the other end. Jaiswal pushes the first one to cover -- no run.

Next ball, a thick outside edge it flies over the cover region and races away for four!

He goes after the next delivery too, swings hard and misses.

Regains control again, just steers it neatly to deep backward point for a single.

Malinga tries to pull things back, but Jaiswal is quick to latch onto the length -- anything slightly short is being punished. He rocks back and sends one soaring over the ropes -- a massive six!

What an over to finish.

After two overs, Rajasthan are 20 without loss -- 11 came off that one, and they're off to a flying start.

Yashasvi and Sooryavanshi walk out looking to make the most of the powerplay, intent written all over their approach.

Pat Cummins has the new ball in hand, charging in with that familiar intensity.

Jaiswal times one beautifully straight away -- a gorgeous straight drive, pure timing… but it's a fraction too straight. It races back down the pitch and crashes into the non-striker's stumps!

A moment of brilliance, but also a costly misdirection. The powerplay plan takes an early hit as Jaiswal walks back shaking his head.

Here are the playing XIs

It's toss time in New Chandigarh and Parag calls tails. It's heads.

Pat Cummins has done it again -- he wins the toss and he chooses to bowl. He just seems to have a knack for landing these big moments and once again he's backed his side to chase under pressure.

The message from both camps before the game was pretty clear: if you win the toss, bowl. And Cummins hasn't overthought it.

Another big knockout game, another Cummins toss win!

We're in New Chandigarh for the Eliminator and it's a ground that immediately catches the eye for two reasons -- its dimensions and the pitch. There's a noticeable boundary bias: one side is around 68-69 metres, the other is shorter at roughly 63 metres, while straight down the ground extends to about 74 metres. That makes square boundaries much more tempting for batters.

The surface itself is exactly what it looks like at first glance -- flat, true, and very good for batting. Both Deep Dasgupta and Aaron Finch agree it's the kind of wicket where batters will feel set as soon as they get their eye in. There's very little in it for the bowlers overall, although the new ball might offer a brief window of opportunity.

With world-class pacers like Jofra Archer and Pat Cummins operating, there is just enough early on -- a few bare patches that could allow the ball to skid or seam. But that movement is expected to be short-lived as the pitch settles quickly.

As for the toss, the trend is clear. This is primarily a chasing venue. Even in a high-pressure knockout match, the surface is unlikely to change much over 40 overs. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins has said the team is focusing on refining their bowling plans and learning from past mistakes as they gear up for the Indian Premier League 2026 Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals in New Chandigarh on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to JioStar, Cummins acknowledged the challenge of containing impact batters like 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had previously slammed a century against SRH during a league stage match in Jaipur.

"It's always a balance as a bowler, understanding what you do well and how you're going to bowl to your strengths. But when there are one or two players in every lineup who can take the game away, you do spend a little longer working on a Plan B or Plan C. We'll plan for him. Even though he got a hundred against us last time, I thought there were times we actually bowled quite well to him and kept him quiet. At other times, he got away. So we'll learn from that," Cummins said.

The SRH skipper added that the focus remains on consistency in execution rather than overcomplicating plans for individual batters.

"We'll try to stick to our strengths and make small adjustments where needed. It's about executing better in key moments," he added.

Cummins also praised middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen for his outstanding form this season, calling him a decisive factor in SRH's campaign.

In the ongoing IPL season, Klaasen is the third-highest run-scorer with 606 runs from 14 matches. The right-handed batter has maintained a strong average of 50.50 and has registered six half-centuries so far.

"He's a very, very good player. Always has been, and he's gone to another level this year. Some of his knocks in Chennai on a really tough wicket, and even the last game against RCB, have been incredible. He can step in and change the tempo of a game. We feel very lucky he's in our middle order. He's been a big reason for our success," Cummins said.

The clash between Hyderabad and Rajasthan shapes up to be a cracker of a contest, with the winner earning a Qualifier Two spot to face the Gujarat Titans. The winner will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final.