SRH vs RR, IPL 2026, Eliminator, started with a fierce batting performance by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as 9 runs came from the first over of the first innings, and 11 runs in the 2nd over of Malinga, including a six and a boundary, conceding 11 runs. Sooryavanshi took charge in the 3rd over, where 25 runs came from captain Pat Cummins’ over, where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi alone hit a hat-trick of sixes.
In the next 4th over, 3 sixes by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to Sakib Hussain, and on 3.6 overs, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi claimed the record of a 16-ball fifty. This aggressive batting powerplay ended with 80/0, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 60*(20) and Yashasvi Jaiswal 19*(16).
SRH vs RR: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 97(28) Storm and RR’s Aggressive Middle-Overs Push Take Royals to 214/4 in 16 Overs
SRH vs RR’s middle-over phase, one of the 7th-11th overs, began with a blistering 16-run over by Sakib Hussain, where again Vaibhav attacked him with back-to-back boundaries on the last 2 balls of his over. The 8th over’s first 5 balls were like a nightmare for Praful Hinge as 29 runs came from those 5 balls, where Sooryavanshi alone hit 3 sixes and 2 boundaries, including one no-ball, but the tables turned very quickly as everyone was crossing fingers as young 15-year-old Vaibhav was one boundary away from breaking legendary Chris Gayle’s record of the fastest century in IPL,
But Vaibhav couldn’t make it because he hit the ball too hard and it went straight up and was caught by Samran Ravichandran’s diving catch, dismissing him after a legendary knock of 97 runs in just 29 balls, including 12 sixes and 5 fours. Later, after Sooryavanshi’s wicket, things went cool for Rajasthan Royals, as 4 runs came from the 9th over, 7 runs from the 10th over, and Rajasthan ended the 11th over at the score of 151/2, Riyan Parag 7(2) and Dhruv Jurel 15(7).
SRH vs RR, middle-overs phase 2, of the 12th to 16th overs, it started with a blasting over for Royals, as 17 runs came from Pat Cummins where Jurel took the charge in his hands and hit 2 fours and a six, 12 runs came from the 13th over, and the 3rd breakthrough for SRH came in the 14th over where, on the 5th ball of this over, Praful Hinge got Dhruv Jurel’s wicket, making him dismissed at 50(21), but Royals didn’t lose the momentum as the 15th over added 15 more runs to the basket of RR.
The 16th over didn’t start in favour of RR, as Praful Hinge struck again and took captain Riyan Parag’s wicket; he made 26(12), and Rajasthan Royals ended the middle-overs phase at 214/4, Donovan Ferreira 3*(4) and Dasun Shanaka 5*(2).
SRH vs RR: Fans’ Expectations Vanished as RR Finished at 243, Only 29 runs added in the last 4 overs
SRH vs RR, death overs, 17th to 20th overs, started with a wicket for Sunrisers as Eshan Malinga struck with the wicket of Dasun Shanaka, who made 5(3), and only 6 runs came from the 17th over. 13 runs came from the 18th over, things went against Rajasthan Royals, as fans and experts were predicting a 270 or 280+ score when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jaiswal were batting, but during this time, things completely changed as 2 wickets were taken by Nitish Kumar Reddy, Donovan Ferreira was dismissed after making 12(9).
Jofra Archer’s wicket, who added 4 runs on the previous delivery, got out making 4(5), and things in the death overs didn’t go in the favour of Rajasthan Royals as only 29 runs were added in the last 4 overs and this restricted Rajasthan to a giant total of 243/8, but fans were expecting more from this, though this was also a good total in the eliminator match for RR to defend against SRH.
ALSO READ: Top 3 Batters With Most Fifties in Less Than 20 Balls in IPL
