Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Riyan Parag-led Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator clash of IPL 2026 after both teams enjoyed impressive campaigns in the league stage. SRH finished third on the points table with nine wins from 14 matches, while RR ended their league stage in fourth spot with eight wins from 14 matches.
In their last league stage match, SRH batting first piled up a huge total of 255 runs. Their top-order batters were in destructive form, with Abhishek Sharma smashing 56 off only 22 deliveries, while Ishan Kishan produced a classy 79-run innings. Heinrich Klaasen further strengthened the innings with an explosive half-century. In reply, Bengaluru managed to score 200 runs, with Eshan Malinga emerging as the standout bowler for SRH after claiming two wickets while conceding 33 runs in his four overs.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals also sealed their playoff berth in style after securing 30-runs over the Mumbai Indians in their last league match. RR posted an impressive 205 runs after being asked to bat first. Dhruv Jurel played a crucial knock of 38 runs, while Jofra Archer added a valuable 32 lower down the order to boost the total.
Key concerns for SRH and RR
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s biggest concern remains that their top order fails to deliver. Their collapse to just 86 against Gujarat Titans exposed how heavily dependent they are on Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Heinrich Klaasen. When those key batters were dismissed early, the middle order featuring Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, and Nitish Kumar Reddy struggled badly under pressure. With Jofra Archer and Ravi Bishnoi expected to exploit any assistance from the pitch during the first innings, SRH could once again face trouble in the middle overs if early wickets fall.
For Rajasthan Royals, the concern is their middle order. Much of their success has revolved around the explosive starts provided by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, along with the impact of Archer with the ball. However, the batting unit in the middle has not always delivered consistently. Riyan Parag has been going through a rough patch, while Shimron Hetmyer has struggled to maintain momentum across matches. If both openers are dismissed early against SRH’s strong pace attack, Rajasthan’s middle order could find itself under immense pressure in a high-stakes knockout encounter.
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SRH vs RR IPL 2026 Probable Playing XI
Sunrisers Hyderabad Probable Playing XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Pat Cummins (C), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
Rajasthan Royals Probable Playing XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (C), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Yash Punja, Nandre Burger, Bijesh Sharma
Injury Updates: There have been no reports of any injuries from either team camp
