Jofra Archer delivered a decisive spell during the powerplay as Rajasthan Royals overcame Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator of IPL 2026, ending SRH’s 244-run chase. Archer struck with early breakthroughs and, within his first three overs, removed Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, doing the damage that ultimately left Hyderabad’s pursuit in tatters during a knockout where momentum matters most. After the match, Archer said he was pleased with the team’s overall bowling display rather than focusing only on his own numbers. “Apart from the figures, I thought I bowled pretty alright. I think all of the guys bowled alright. We stuck to our plans, we stuck to our lengths, and we were rewarded tonight,” he said. His impact began immediately—Abhishek fell to a wicket on the second ball of the innings—setting the tone for Royals’ control in the early overs.
Archer also spoke about the pressure that comes with winning the powerplay battles. He pointed out that grabbing early wickets often swings matches and described how he embraces that responsibility. “Usually, the team that gets the most wickets in the powerplay usually wins the game. So it's a lot of pressure, but I take it on, and I do my best for the team,” he added.
With the Eliminator win, Rajasthan Royals are now only two victories away from claiming a second IPL title. Next up, they will play Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru are already set for the final. Archer underlined the importance of staying sharp and not allowing a late-season dip in form. He referenced the danger teams face after strong starts and stressed that RR’s focus must remain constant. “Every game at a time. I think we are at our peak, well, I don't want to say peaking, and we're going in the right direction at the right time. We don't want what happened to Kings XI [PBKS] to happen to us. So I think we're on the right path. Everyone chipping in every game, and that's the important part,” he said.
RR’s total was set up by a remarkable counterattack from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The youngster struck 97 off just 29 balls, smashing 12 sixes and five fours to help Rajasthan post 244 runs. Archer singled him out for praise, highlighting how quickly Sooryavanshi’s innings inflated the target and made the job harder for the opposition. “It was very exciting. The more runs he (Sooryavanshi) scores, the more runs we have to defend. So he can go on and get 150, so it's good for the boys when he gets a lot of runs,” Archer said.
Rajasthan Royals will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday at the Maharaja Yadavindra International Stadium in New Chandigarh.
