Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2026 campaign ended on Wednesday as they were knocked out in the Eliminator, falling to the Rajasthan Royals by 47 runs. Captain Pat Cummins’ side—titled the “Orange Army” after a league run that yielded nine wins from 14 matches—couldn’t find momentum in Mullanpur, where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck his way to a match-winning assault. The 15-year-old delivered a sensational innings of 97 from 29 balls, guiding the Royals to 243/8 in their 20 overs and leaving SRH chasing a total that never truly came within reach.
Sooryavanshi’s 97 powers a massive total
From the first ball, Sooryavanshi looked at ease and relentless, targeting the bowling unit “all around the park” and turning the innings into a platform for a high-pressure finish. His knock, featuring 97 runs off just 29 deliveries, played a central role in Rajasthan posting a score of 243/8.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 97 runs off 29 balls
- Rajasthan Royals: 243/8 in 20 overs
- Match result: Royals win the Eliminator by 47 runs
Cummins under pressure as the Royals find an edge
While Cummins led SRH, his spell went for runs, and that opened the door for Sooryavanshi to take advantage. Cummins conceded 60 runs in his four-over quota, and in one of those overs the teenager specifically struck 25 runs off him.
After the defeat, Cummins looked visibly disappointed, but he pinpointed Sooryavanshi’s innings as the decisive swing moment. He argued that when the batter is set, the margin for error becomes extremely narrow—particularly when bowlers stray slightly from their intended lengths and lines.
- Pat Cummins conceded 60 runs in four overs
- Sooryavanshi hit 25 runs in one Cummins over
- Cummins identified the knock as the game-changing phase
What Cummins said about bowling to Sooryavanshi
Cummins explained that it’s difficult to create mistakes against Sooryavanshi because loose deliveries are quickly converted into boundaries or sixes. He also highlighted how even a small miss—such as slipping away from a yorker length—can be punished immediately.
In his post-match remarks, Cummins said: “He played pretty well. Don’t feel like you have too many options. Obviously, it was a really good pitch, but the margins are so small. If you miss your yorker by a little bit, he doesn’t tend to miss them. So, uh, yeah, fair play.”
He added that SRH’s overall season had been strong, but that they were “one tiny little bit” away from finishing in the top two. “We end up as a really well-rounded team,” Cummins said. “I think we’re one tiny little bit away from being in the top two as well. So you can’t ask for much more. The boys have been fantastic, their attitude all year, the way they’ve gone about it. Looks like they’ve really enjoyed the cricket. So I can’t ask for anything more.”
SRH’s season context and the Eliminator chase
In the league stage, Sunrisers Hyderabad finished third on the points table with 18 points, matching the totals of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, who also ended on 18. Early in the tournament, SRH were without their captain for several matches, with Ishan Kishan stepping in as skipper during Cummins’ absence.
The Eliminator chase then went sideways quickly for SRH. They were never truly in the contest after they lost Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Travis Head during the powerplay. Jofra Archer struck repeatedly with the ball and removed key wickets at crucial moments. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora did manage to build a partnership worth more than 50 runs, but once Reddy was dismissed for 38, the momentum slipped away completely.
- SRH finished third in the league with 18 points
- 18 points were shared with RCB and Gujarat Titans
- Ishan Kishan captained SRH during Pat Cummins’ early absence
- SRH lost Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Travis Head in the powerplay
- Jofra Archer took the important wickets
- Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora added 50+ runs, then Reddy fell for 38
Royals move to Qualifier 2
With this Eliminator win, Rajasthan Royals advanced to Qualifier 2. The next match for the Riyan Parag-led side will be against the Gujarat Titans on Friday in Mullanpur.
For SRH, the exit ends a season shaped by a strong league showing, but one where a single dominant spell—anchored by Sooryavanshi’s explosive 97—proved too much to overcome.
