Rajasthan Royals booked their spot in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2026 after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 47 runs in the Eliminator on Wednesday. The defining figure was 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose rapid 97 off 29 balls swung the contest firmly in RR’s favour. Chasing a route to Qualifier 2, the Royals first set a commanding platform by posting 243 for eight, with Sooryavanshi delivering one of the most punishing innings of the tournament.
Sooryavanshi dismantled the SRH bowling attack from the outset, hammering 12 sixes as he cut through the field and pushed towards a major milestone. He finished just short of Chris Gayle’s benchmark for the quickest IPL century, with Gayle having reached the mark in 30 deliveries. Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 97 after facing only 29 balls, having looked in complete control throughout. The left-handed batter attacked straight away, leaving Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins needing answers—anything on a fuller length was driven down the ground, while shorter deliveries were dispatched with cuts and pulls that kept finding the stands.
The momentum only intensified as the innings progressed. Sooryavanshi reached his half-century in 16 balls, with eight of those scoring shots going for six. His opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal remained largely on the periphery, scoring 29 off 29, as the teenager took charge of the run chase before it could even begin. Rajasthan Royals were already racing along, and by the time Sooryavanshi was removed by Praful Hinge in the eighth over, RR had surged to 125 after just eight overs.
Notably, Sooryavanshi also set a new seasonal benchmark, surpassing Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL campaign. With 65 sixes to his name this season, he moved beyond Gayle’s previous total of 59. Dhruv Jurel then provided a burst of acceleration with a brisk 50 off 21 balls, marking his sixth fifty of the season, helping RR stay on course for a score even beyond the 180 mark.
Rajasthan Royals appeared set for a huge total after moving to 180 for two in 13 overs, but Sunrisers Hyderabad fought back in the closing phase. SRH tightened the screws in the last five overs, taking five wickets while conceding just 36 runs, preventing RR from crossing the 260-run threshold. Even so, the damage had already been done, with SRH’s bowlers unable to undo the foundation built earlier by Sooryavanshi’s explosive batting.
Pat Cummins ended with figures of 0 for 64 in four overs, while Sakib Hussain gave away 49 runs in three overs. Praful Hinge took three wickets but still conceded 54 runs, and Eshan Malinga also struggled to contain the scoring. Wrist spinner Shivang Kumar made an impact by removing Jaiswal, but RR’s overall tally remained out of reach for SRH’s chase.
In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad never truly recovered after losing early wickets in the powerplay. Jofra Archer struck at crucial moments, dismissing Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Travis Head during the early overs. Archer’s final figures were 4 for 58 from four overs, and while he did leak runs later, the wickets he took—especially those of SRH’s key contributors—proved decisive.
SRH’s chase continued to stall as wickets kept falling regularly. Ishan Kishan scored 33 and Nitish Kumar Reddy made 38, giving SRH a brief sense of direction, while Salil Arora contributed 35. However, the lower-middle order could not sustain the momentum, and Heinrich Klaasen failed to get going, getting trapped lbw by Yash Raj Punja while attempting an attacking shot.
With the required rate climbing and wickets mounting, Sunrisers Hyderabad were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs. Rajasthan Royals will now take on Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday, with a place in the IPL 2026 final at stake.
