Rajasthan Royals endured a bruising loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday in IPL 2026, but their batting effort still delivered a rare statistical landmark. After a disastrous beginning that left them reeling at 9 for 5 within the opening overs, the Royals somehow steadied the innings and finished on 159 in 19 overs. In the process, they became the first side in IPL history to reach 150 after losing their first five wickets for fewer than 20 runs—an extraordinary comeback in a match that otherwise swung firmly against them.
How the match swung to Sunrisers Hyderabad
From the outset, Sunrisers Hyderabad looked in command, and a standout debut from pacer Praful Hinge played a major role in shaping the contest. The youngster struck immediately, dismissing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the very first over. That burst of wickets created a unique IPL opening-over feat: the first time in league history that three wickets have fallen inside the opening over of an innings.
- Hinge’s early impact included the removal of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in the first over.
- That spell marked the first instance of three wickets in the opening over of an IPL innings.
- He ended with match figures of 4 for 34.
With the momentum firmly with SRH after that opening burst, the Royals’ chase was given little room to breathe. Even so, their lower-order resistance mattered—helping shrink the defeat margin despite the early damage.
Sunrisers’ big total and the Royals’ response
SRH also set the tone with the bat, piling on 216 for 6. Skipper Ishan Kishan top-scored with a brilliant 91, building a foundation that looked difficult for any chase to undo. Additional contributions from Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Reddy, and Salil Arora ensured the total crossed the 200-run mark, further underlining SRH’s dominance throughout the evening.
While the outcome was essentially decided after Rajasthan’s early collapse, the Royals’ innings still carried a significant achievement. Coming back from 9 for 5, they managed to reach 159 in 19 overs, turning a seemingly hopeless situation into a record-worthy fightback.
The record recovery and the key partnership
Rajasthan’s turnaround was powered by a stubborn and productive alliance for the sixth wicket between Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja. Their partnership produced 118 runs, a stand that did much more than just stabilise the innings—it also placed the Royals among the elite list of sixth-wicket (or lower) partnerships in IPL history.
- Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja added an 118-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
- The stand became the second-highest sixth-wicket (or lower) partnership in IPL history.
- It sits just behind the unbeaten 122-run partnership between Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu for Mumbai Indians against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2012.
Why the defeat still mattered statistically
Though Rajasthan ultimately came up short, the innings delivered two standout milestones in the same match: a first-ever IPL achievement for reaching 150 after being down to five wickets for under 20, and a sixth-wicket partnership ranking second-highest in the league’s history for that wicket or lower. With SRH’s pace attack setting the early tempo and Hinge’s unforgettable debut changing the complexion of the innings, the match still ended with Rajasthan adding a memorable statistical footnote to an otherwise one-sided script.
