Four games into the season, Sunrisers Hyderabad's IPL 2026 was stagnating. Their batting was too reliant on the top order, their bowling was incompetent, they had only won one game, and their regular skipper was busy recuperating from an injury. A season turnaround followed when they faced the Rajasthan Royals. They started their run of five straight victories after defeating RR by 57 runs, moving them from the bottom half of the standings to postseason contention.
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| Despite Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 29-ball 97, RR only managed 243 |
With four straight victories, RR's season got off to a perfect start. After that, there was a decline that started with that loss to SRH and ended with RR needing to win two games that were almost necessary to go to the playoffs. It might be argued that RR is in a better position going into the eliminator than SRH, who haven't really experienced any knockout fear, because they have played two high-pressure games. However, SRH has been more reliable than the other squad and will rely on players who are playing well to win in New Chandigarh.
The top orders battle
The battle of the top order may ultimately be the focus of the eliminator. When Vaibhav Sooryavanshi last played SRH, he hit a 37-ball 103 in Jaipur, but RR lost. At 11.5 runs per over, RR is now the fastest-scoring team in the powerplay this season. SRH, who are going at 11.02 in this phase, are in second place. Heinrich Klaasen (606 runs), Ishan Kishan (569 runs), and Abhishek Sharma (563 runs) are all having outstanding seasons, but Travishek as an opening pair hasn't performed well.
For the first time in a season, three batters from the same side would have scored more than 600 runs if Abhishek and Kishan were to score 37 and 31 runs, respectively, in the eliminator.
The IPL 2026 tale of SRH vs RR
Both times this season, SRH has defeated RR: by five wickets in Jaipur, where they pursued 229 with nine balls remaining, and by 57 runs in Hyderabad, when they defended 216. With a victory in the eliminator, SRH's six-match winning streak against RR would be their longest in IPL history. RR has won all three of its games in New Chandigarh. Who advances to the second qualifying round?
Strategy board: Punja and Archer are crucial against SRH's batting power
The most explosive IPL 2026 openers are the Rajasthan Royals. Once more, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have the most explosive top three, are just behind them, followed closely by RR. Naturally, many of the strategies will centre on keeping Ishan Kishan, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at bay. Sidharth Monga is shown here holding the tactics board.
In the spotlight: Abhishek and Sooryavanshi
583 runs at a strike rate of 232.37 in 14 innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has had a tremendous season, regardless of what happens in the eliminator. He needs seven more sixes to surpass Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes in an IPL season, which currently stands at 53. RR will be in a really good position if he can accomplish that. Over the season, Sooryavanshi and the SRH bowlers have created a subtle rivalry.
When the two clubs first faced up in the 2026 Indian Premier League, Sooryavanshi lost for a first-ball duck against Hinge. Hinge had stated, "I just wanted to dismiss him [Sooryavanshi] on the first ball, that was the plan," as he accepted the Player of the Match award. When RR next faced SRH, Sooryavanshi replied by smoking 103 off 37 balls. Against Hinge, he hit 30 off nine balls, including one four and four sixes, and against Sakib, he hit 30 off ten balls, including one four and four sixes. The match between Sooryavanshi and SRH could be decided in round three.
Abhishek Sharma is at one end of the spectrum if Sooryavanshi is at the other. The SRH opener has had yet another stellar season, scoring 563 runs at a strike rate of 206.22 in 14 innings. In terms of runs, this is already Abhishek's greatest IPL season, and he will be crucial to SRH in the eliminator once more. Similar to Sooryavanshi, Abhishek was dismissed for a first-ball duck during the SRH vs. RR match in Hyderabad. However, 12 days later, he made amends by hitting a 29-ball 57 in Jaipur. In the IPL playoffs, Abhishek had a poor record: 17 runs at an average of 5.70 in three innings. Can he make amends and advance SRH to Qualifier 2?
From Gopalganj to the IPL Finalist
One of the IPL 2026 debutants, Sakib Hussain, was crucial to SRH's comeback and eventual postseason qualification. What is his hometown? How did his journey go? Read this feature by Nagraj Gollapudi to learn everything there is to know about him.
The conflict of the middle order
Naturally, Travishek and JaiSoorya have dominated much of the build-up to this game, but who follows them could be just as important, and SRH might have an advantage. If you have to pick between Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen, there is an obvious favourite. As a No. 3, Jurel in particular has appeared to be a bit of a throwback, with much space for development in his post-power-play game, especially when facing spin.
But tonight's compelling performance has the power to drastically alter that story.
SRH decided to bowl in the elimination round
When playing the Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad decided to bowl.
The skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Pat Cummins, has decided to bowl against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator in New Chandigarh. Cummins explained his choice by pointing out that chasing teams have a good record at this location—three victories in four games this season.
The RR captain, Riyan Parag, stated that he would have loved to chase as well.
It's possible that SRH believed there was a greater chance of new-ball assistance in the surface than assistance for cutters and slower balls because Praful Hinge returned to the starting lineup to replace Harshal Patel in their pace attack. When SRH bats, either Salil Arora or Aniket Verma, who both start on the bench, could enter as an Impact Player.
With Shubham Dubey on the Impact Player bench and Ravindra Jadeja in the starting lineup, there was only one change in RR's starting lineup, albeit not in their match squad. Since RR is batting first, Dubey might replace a top-order batsman who was dismissed during their innings, or, depending on the circumstances, a bowler like Ravi Bishnoi or Tushar Deshpande might enter when they bowl.
This season, SRH has faced and defeated RR twice. RR, on the other hand, has played and defeated the Punjab Kings three times in New Chandigarh and has never lost a game there.
Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 3 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Donovan Ferreira, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Nandre Burger, 10 Brijesh Sharma, 11 Yash Raj Punja.
Impact Player bench: Shubham Dubey, Sushant Mishra, Amanal Perala, Ravi Bishnoi, Tushar Deshpande.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Travis Head, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 R Smaran, 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Pat Cummins (capt), 8 Shivang Kumar, 9 Eshan Malinga, 10 Sakib Hussain, 11 Praful Hinge.
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Travis Head, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 R Smaran, 6 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 7 Pat Cummins (capt), 8 Shivang Kumar, 9 Eshan Malinga, 10 Sakib Hussain, 11 Praful Hinge.
Impact Player bench: Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel.
Malinga and Cummins fully commit to Sooryavanshi
Pat Cummins had some intriguing intentions in the opening over. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's first men out are deep square leg and deep midwicket; once he returns to strike, it's deep midwicket and long-on. Every time he bowled to him, he tried to deny him elevation by going really full and at the stumps. In the end, he bowls four balls to Sooryavanshi, getting three of them almost exactly right to give up just a single. He then underpitches once, lands in the slot, and is launched sweetly over mid-off for six.
In one over, RR is 9 for 0.
Eshan Malinga is opening from the opposite end. You would have thought that Praful Hinge would accept the new ball, but he didn't. A small amount of SRH front-loading?
Like Cummins, Malinga bowls a strong first five balls before giving up a six off the final ball. Similar to Sooryavanshi, he bowls an effort at a yorker that turns into an inswinging full-toss, or dot ball, before attempting a surprise short ball and gets hooked over backwards square leg for six.
In two overs, RR is 20 for no loss.
This is the world of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
....and we're all merely existing within it.
There is little room for mistakes in Cummins' strategy to continue operating at full capacity at Sooryavanshi. Two slot balls are launched over the bowler's head for six and hit past mid-off for four. Then he alters up, goes short and across Sooryavanshi, and he uppercuts it away for six. After that, he bowls a fullish slower ball, which Sooryavanshi expertly retains his shape, waits for, and flat-bats down the ground for another six.
Cummins' two boundary fielders on the final ball of the over are a very straight long-on, nearly a straight shot, and a wider long-on. And once more, he goes yorker. Sooryavanshi cuts it away for a single with composure.
He is batting at 36 off 10 balls. There hasn't been much of a nice length to him thus far. SRH has immediately switched to death-overs bowling, and it isn't really working.
Add one more Sooryavanshi headline
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has surpassed Chris Gayle in the T20 competition record for the most sixes.
I had initially entered 59, then 60, and finally 61. All within a single over. Sakib Hussain gets to run up, bowl, and be battered by the 15-year-old after Cummins and Malinga. Against fullish, slower balls, over extra-cover and long-off, Sakib completely crushes a pull behind square when he goes short.
Sooryavanshi reaches his fifty off just sixteen balls after the third six. RR is 63 for no loss in four overs in an eliminator.
According to Sampath Bandarupalli, it is tied with Suresh Raina's renowned 25-ball 87 against Kings XI Punjab in 2014 for the fastest fifty in an IPL knockout/playoff match. He reached his fifty in sixteen balls as well.
80 for no loss
You have to admit, this power play is rather helpful for RR.
For the record, Yashasvi Jaiswal is batting at 19 off 16 balls. You might be surprised to learn that SRH has bowled fairly well to both of these batters.
Sooryavanshi just misses the IPL record
1 6 1w 4 5nb 6 6 W
Thirty balls is the fastest IPL tonne ever recorded. When Chris Gayle hit 175 against the Pune Warriors in 2013, he set the record. In an over of brutal hitting, Sooryavanshi was on the verge of shattering this record by destroying Praful Hinge. He next attempts to uppercut a bouncer that is slanted across him while batting on 97 off 28, but he top-edges it and is caught at deep third. What an innings. What a performer.
We will now need to adjust to watching regular Twenty20 cricket once more. After Sooryavanshi's wicket falls, RR is 125 for 1 in eight overs. Shivang Kumar enters the game and gives up just four in the following over.
Jaiswal leaves
How bizarre Yashasvi Jaiswal's evening has been. After witnessing Sooryavanshi smash every length and line out of the park, he is now out after facing precisely the same number of balls and scoring 29 runs per ball.
can't clear long-off and aims to launch Shivang Kumar for six. In 10.2 overs, RR is 137 for 2.
Jurel feeling upbeat
Jurel is not squandering the momentum he was given, and this is a nice, ambitious innings from him. In the eleventh over, Slog-sweeps Shivang for a six, and in the twelfth over, he dismantles Cummins.
0 4 2 6 4 1
Cummins is put under pressure by stepping over early in the over to scoop him over short fine leg. He then uses a true hit-me half-volley to pick up a pulled six and a driving four past long-off. Cummins doesn't typically bowl balls as poorly as that, although he occasionally goes for runs.
Jurel is on 32 off 13, while RR are 168 for 2 in 12 overs.
Six, fifty, out
Dhruv Jurel scores his sixth fifty of the year, and at just 20 balls, it is his most effortless. Fantastic innings. arrives with a fantastic shot, jumping off his feet to uppercut a short ball from Hinge that is climbing rapidly, barely avoiding a leaping deep third. The following ball, Hinge bangs him in again, but this time it's closer to the body's line, and he can't quite manage the pull. RR is 192 for 3 in 13.5 overs after hitting it high to deep square leg.
Malinga and Cummins fully commit to Sooryavanshi
Pat Cummins had some intriguing intentions in the opening over. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's first men out are deep square leg and deep midwicket; once he returns to strike, it's deep midwicket and long-on. Every time he bowled to him, he tried to deny him elevation by going really full and at the stumps. In the end, he bowls four balls to Sooryavanshi, getting three of them almost exactly right to give up just a single. He then underpitches once, lands in the slot, and is launched sweetly over mid-off for six.
In one over, RR is 9 for 0.
Eshan Malinga is opening from the opposite end. You would have thought that Praful Hinge would accept the new ball, but he didn't. A small amount of SRH front-loading?
Like Cummins, Malinga bowls a strong first five balls before giving up a six off the final ball. Similar to Sooryavanshi, he bowls an effort at a yorker that turns into an inswinging full-toss, or dot ball, before attempting a surprise short ball and gets hooked over backwards square leg for six.
In two overs, RR is 20 for no loss.
This is the world of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
....and we're all merely existing within it.
There is little room for mistakes in Cummins' strategy to continue operating at full capacity at Sooryavanshi. Two slot balls are launched over the bowler's head for six and hit past mid-off for four. Then he alters up, goes short and across Sooryavanshi, and he uppercuts it away for six. After that, he bowls a fullish slower ball, which Sooryavanshi expertly retains his shape, waits for, and flat-bats down the ground for another six.
Cummins' two boundary fielders on the final ball of the over are a very straight long-on, nearly a straight shot, and a wider long-on. And once more, he goes yorker. Sooryavanshi cuts it away for a single with composure.
He is batting at 36 off 10 balls. There hasn't been much of a nice length to him thus far. SRH has immediately switched to death-overs bowling, and it isn't really working.
Add one more Sooryavanshi headline
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has surpassed Chris Gayle in the T20 competition record for the most sixes.
I had initially entered 59, then 60, and finally 61. All within a single over. Sakib Hussain gets to run up, bowl, and be battered by the 15-year-old after Cummins and Malinga. Against fullish, slower balls, over extra-cover and long-off, Sakib completely crushes a pull behind square when he goes short.
Sooryavanshi reaches his fifty off just sixteen balls after the third six. RR is 63 for no loss in four overs in an eliminator.
According to Sampath Bandarupalli, it is tied with Suresh Raina's renowned 25-ball 87 against Kings XI Punjab in 2014 for the fastest fifty in an IPL knockout/playoff match. He reached his fifty in sixteen balls as well.
80 for no loss
You have to admit, this power play is rather helpful for RR.
For the record, Yashasvi Jaiswal is batting at 19 off 16 balls. You might be surprised to learn that SRH has bowled fairly well to both of these batters.
Sooryavanshi just misses the IPL record
1 6 1w 4 5nb 6 6 W
Thirty balls is the fastest IPL tonne ever recorded. When Chris Gayle hit 175 against the Pune Warriors in 2013, he set the record. In an over of brutal hitting, Sooryavanshi was on the verge of shattering this record by destroying Praful Hinge. He next attempts to uppercut a bouncer that is slanted across him while batting on 97 off 28, but he top-edges it and is caught at deep third. What an innings. What a performer.
We will now need to adjust to watching regular Twenty20 cricket once more. After Sooryavanshi's wicket falls, RR is 125 for 1 in eight overs. Shivang Kumar enters the game and gives up just four in the following over.
Jaiswal leaves
How bizarre Yashasvi Jaiswal's evening has been. After witnessing Sooryavanshi smash every length and line out of the park, he is now out after facing precisely the same number of balls and scoring 29 runs per ball.
can't clear long-off and aims to launch Shivang Kumar for six. In 10.2 overs, RR is 137 for 2.
Jurel feeling upbeat
Jurel is not squandering the momentum he was given, and this is a nice, ambitious innings from him. In the eleventh over, Slog-sweeps Shivang for a six, and in the twelfth over, he dismantles Cummins.
0 4 2 6 4 1
Cummins is put under pressure by stepping over early in the over to scoop him over short fine leg. He then uses a true hit-me half-volley to pick up a pulled six and a driving four past long-off. Cummins doesn't typically bowl balls as poorly as that, although he occasionally goes for runs.
Jurel is on 32 off 13, while RR are 168 for 2 in 12 overs.
Six, fifty, out
Dhruv Jurel scores his sixth fifty of the year, and at just 20 balls, it is his most effortless. Fantastic innings. arrives with a fantastic shot, jumping off his feet to uppercut a short ball from Hinge that is climbing rapidly, barely avoiding a leaping deep third. The following ball, Hinge bangs him in again, but this time it's closer to the body's line, and he can't quite manage the pull. RR is 192 for 3 in 13.5 overs after hitting it high to deep square leg.
Hinge receives Parag
Parag frequently tries flat-bat hits in the V off balls that are either shorter or of fair length. In the sixteenth over, he attempts one such shot off Hinge and is caught at long-on for 26 off 12. He appeared to be jogging a little cautiously during the innings due to a hamstring strain.
In 15.2 overs, RR 207 for 4.
Can RR's finish be denied by SRH?
For RR, wickets are starting to tumble at a quite concerning rate. Dasun Shanaka is caught at long-on after losing five balls after Parag's dismissal while attempting to club his countryman Malinga over the leg side. In 16.1 overs, RR is 214 for 5. There is still batting to be done. Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja are now present, and RR can choose to choose Shubham Dubey as their Impact Player.
Archer and Ferreira leave
Ferreira and Jadeja put up 20 off 12 balls, although kamikaze sprinting between the wickets might have terminated their partnership several times. When they attempt to pinch a nonexistent second run in the 19th over, it eventually comes to an end.
In 18.1 overs, RR is 233 for 6. Much of RR's momentum has been sucked away by SRH. Can they reach 250?
Jofra Archer is also lost by RR five balls later. Abhishek Sharma made a perfectly timed long-on catch on the boundary edge. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made excellent use of the wide yorker and general wide line, only managed five runs off the 19th over.
243 for eight
What an odd last over. Despite being the last hitter to be recognised, Jadeja only takes one first ball. Then, while attempting a second run that would have kept him on strike, Nandre Burger is run out.
Next, RR introduces its Inpact Player. You figure it will be either Ravi Bishnoi or Tushar Deshpande because Shubham Dubey is too late. Neither is it. Sushant Mishra, a left-arm seamer who has only played one game this season, went 0 for 46 against LSG.
RR fails to reach 250 after scoring just 36 for 5 in their final five overs. Anyone can play this game. After Sooryavanshi knocked, who would doubt that?
The archer delivers a powerful early blow
SRH has lost Abhishek Sharma two balls into their chase. Huge, huge wicket. And Jofra Archer does it in a way that is typical of Jofra Archer. The attempted hook only creates a thin edge that reaches the keeper, and the sharp bouncer climbs over the front shoulder.
Head and Kishan counterpunch
0 W 2 6 4 4
Ishan Kishan doesn't give SRH's early loss of their first wicket much thought. immediately takes aim at Archer, and the first over ends up going for 16.
2 5w 1 0 1 6 4
The second over is significantly larger. Nandre Burger goes for 19, and Travis Head joins the group. The goalie is unable to reach the large wide down the leg side.
Kishan is taken by Archer
This power play is completely out of breath. Not a single ball is incident-free. In the first four balls of Archer's second over, Kishan scored 4, 6, a dot, and 6. It was starting to look like this might be a repeat of the game from earlier in the season, when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a 36-ball century, but SRH prevailed because their hitters went from both ends, while RR only went from one.
However, Archer exacts his retribution, and RR triumphs. In an attempt to create space, Kishan flays a fast, shortish ball square on the off side, but instead of middleing it, he toe-ends a catch to cover. SRH is 51 for 2 in 2.5 overs, and he is out for 33 off 11.
SRH is down three after Burger strikes
RR sends in the left-handed R Smaran instead of Heinrich Klaasen or Nitish Kumar Reddy when Kishan's wicket falls. Although he is a strong first-class cricket player, is he really the best fit in this circumstance? Perhaps he was on a different day. Burger's hard-length ball grows huge on him today, and after backpedalling from mid-on, his attempt at a flat-bat hit down the ground turns into a skier that Archer snags.
In 3.3 overs, SRH is 52 for 3.
Archer receives his third
You would imagine that RR has a foot in Qualifier 2 currently. Even against balls on the stumps, Travis Head's exceptional hand-eye coordination allows him to repeatedly slap the ball through the off side while remaining leg-side of the ball. However, this is more difficult when Jofra Archer is bowling at 150 kph. After Head slashes and misses, he goes a little bit farther than normal to hit the top of the stump, which he does.
In 4.4 overs, SRH is 57 for 4. In his third over, Archer is 3 for 37. In back-to-back games near the end of the season, he has had an incredible influence on RR.
Punja strikes six and out
Is that the game? Heinrich Klaasen had just struck a fantastic shot off Yash Raj Punja, a legspinner, creating so much space that he blasted a good-length ball that would have finished outside leg stump over the covers for six. However, Klaasen takes another chance off the very next ball because the target is what it is, and it's a decent one from Punja. He was giving himself a chance by slowing it down a little and focusing on the stumps, even if it might have vanished to the boundary as well.
Although the lbw appeal is denied on the field, RR reviews and overturns it after Klaasen fails to reverse-sweep. Ball-tracking indicates that the ball would have struck a significant portion of the off stump rather than missing it, which may have caused the on-field umpire to have some doubts. In 6.5 overs, SRH is 81 for 5.
SRH is still throwing punches
SRH is still playing their shots despite all the wickets they have been losing, and they really have no other choice in an eliminator. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Impact Player Salil Arora are taking on this game, and the conditions are ideal for making shots.
Reddy just reached the fifty partnership off just 19 balls with a whippy bottom-handed knock down the ground off Brijesh Sharma.
SRH needs 112 off 60 balls at the midway point of their chase.
Jadeja receives Reddy
With Reddy and Arora playing a shot at the ball, a chance was certain, and it materialised in the eleventh over. With his fifth ball, Ravindra Jadeja launches an attack. ignites a round-armer, preventing Reddy from releasing his arms. He can only identify deep midwicket when he goes on the big shot.
SRH is 137 for 6 in 10.5 overs, and he is out for 38 off 20.
Sushant's first IPL wicket
Sushant Mishra hits a hard-length ball from left-arm around that Pat Cummins tries to club away, and Archer makes a good catch while sprinting to his right on the long-on boundary.
In 11.1 overs, SRH is 139 for 7.
4-0-58-3
Unbelievable numbers for Jofra Archer, who scored a lot of runs; in the 17th over, Shivang Kumar even chased him for 16 runs. However, the final column is the most crucial in this match, and those three wickets were taken by Abhishek, Kishan, and Head. How can you surpass that?
RR triumphs by 47 runs
Sooryavanshi made the game-winning catch by diving forward at short third in a fitting ending. We shall get to witness more of him on Friday when RR plays the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. What a game and tournament he has had.
Parag frequently tries flat-bat hits in the V off balls that are either shorter or of fair length. In the sixteenth over, he attempts one such shot off Hinge and is caught at long-on for 26 off 12. He appeared to be jogging a little cautiously during the innings due to a hamstring strain.
In 15.2 overs, RR 207 for 4.
Can RR's finish be denied by SRH?
For RR, wickets are starting to tumble at a quite concerning rate. Dasun Shanaka is caught at long-on after losing five balls after Parag's dismissal while attempting to club his countryman Malinga over the leg side. In 16.1 overs, RR is 214 for 5. There is still batting to be done. Jofra Archer and Ravindra Jadeja are now present, and RR can choose to choose Shubham Dubey as their Impact Player.
Archer and Ferreira leave
Ferreira and Jadeja put up 20 off 12 balls, although kamikaze sprinting between the wickets might have terminated their partnership several times. When they attempt to pinch a nonexistent second run in the 19th over, it eventually comes to an end.
In 18.1 overs, RR is 233 for 6. Much of RR's momentum has been sucked away by SRH. Can they reach 250?
Jofra Archer is also lost by RR five balls later. Abhishek Sharma made a perfectly timed long-on catch on the boundary edge. Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made excellent use of the wide yorker and general wide line, only managed five runs off the 19th over.
243 for eight
What an odd last over. Despite being the last hitter to be recognised, Jadeja only takes one first ball. Then, while attempting a second run that would have kept him on strike, Nandre Burger is run out.
Next, RR introduces its Inpact Player. You figure it will be either Ravi Bishnoi or Tushar Deshpande because Shubham Dubey is too late. Neither is it. Sushant Mishra, a left-arm seamer who has only played one game this season, went 0 for 46 against LSG.
RR fails to reach 250 after scoring just 36 for 5 in their final five overs. Anyone can play this game. After Sooryavanshi knocked, who would doubt that?
The archer delivers a powerful early blow
SRH has lost Abhishek Sharma two balls into their chase. Huge, huge wicket. And Jofra Archer does it in a way that is typical of Jofra Archer. The attempted hook only creates a thin edge that reaches the keeper, and the sharp bouncer climbs over the front shoulder.
Head and Kishan counterpunch
0 W 2 6 4 4
Ishan Kishan doesn't give SRH's early loss of their first wicket much thought. immediately takes aim at Archer, and the first over ends up going for 16.
2 5w 1 0 1 6 4
The second over is significantly larger. Nandre Burger goes for 19, and Travis Head joins the group. The goalie is unable to reach the large wide down the leg side.
Kishan is taken by Archer
This power play is completely out of breath. Not a single ball is incident-free. In the first four balls of Archer's second over, Kishan scored 4, 6, a dot, and 6. It was starting to look like this might be a repeat of the game from earlier in the season, when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a 36-ball century, but SRH prevailed because their hitters went from both ends, while RR only went from one.
However, Archer exacts his retribution, and RR triumphs. In an attempt to create space, Kishan flays a fast, shortish ball square on the off side, but instead of middleing it, he toe-ends a catch to cover. SRH is 51 for 2 in 2.5 overs, and he is out for 33 off 11.
SRH is down three after Burger strikes
RR sends in the left-handed R Smaran instead of Heinrich Klaasen or Nitish Kumar Reddy when Kishan's wicket falls. Although he is a strong first-class cricket player, is he really the best fit in this circumstance? Perhaps he was on a different day. Burger's hard-length ball grows huge on him today, and after backpedalling from mid-on, his attempt at a flat-bat hit down the ground turns into a skier that Archer snags.
In 3.3 overs, SRH is 52 for 3.
Archer receives his third
You would imagine that RR has a foot in Qualifier 2 currently. Even against balls on the stumps, Travis Head's exceptional hand-eye coordination allows him to repeatedly slap the ball through the off side while remaining leg-side of the ball. However, this is more difficult when Jofra Archer is bowling at 150 kph. After Head slashes and misses, he goes a little bit farther than normal to hit the top of the stump, which he does.
In 4.4 overs, SRH is 57 for 4. In his third over, Archer is 3 for 37. In back-to-back games near the end of the season, he has had an incredible influence on RR.
Punja strikes six and out
Is that the game? Heinrich Klaasen had just struck a fantastic shot off Yash Raj Punja, a legspinner, creating so much space that he blasted a good-length ball that would have finished outside leg stump over the covers for six. However, Klaasen takes another chance off the very next ball because the target is what it is, and it's a decent one from Punja. He was giving himself a chance by slowing it down a little and focusing on the stumps, even if it might have vanished to the boundary as well.
Although the lbw appeal is denied on the field, RR reviews and overturns it after Klaasen fails to reverse-sweep. Ball-tracking indicates that the ball would have struck a significant portion of the off stump rather than missing it, which may have caused the on-field umpire to have some doubts. In 6.5 overs, SRH is 81 for 5.
SRH is still throwing punches
SRH is still playing their shots despite all the wickets they have been losing, and they really have no other choice in an eliminator. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Impact Player Salil Arora are taking on this game, and the conditions are ideal for making shots.
Reddy just reached the fifty partnership off just 19 balls with a whippy bottom-handed knock down the ground off Brijesh Sharma.
SRH needs 112 off 60 balls at the midway point of their chase.
Jadeja receives Reddy
With Reddy and Arora playing a shot at the ball, a chance was certain, and it materialised in the eleventh over. With his fifth ball, Ravindra Jadeja launches an attack. ignites a round-armer, preventing Reddy from releasing his arms. He can only identify deep midwicket when he goes on the big shot.
SRH is 137 for 6 in 10.5 overs, and he is out for 38 off 20.
Sushant's first IPL wicket
Sushant Mishra hits a hard-length ball from left-arm around that Pat Cummins tries to club away, and Archer makes a good catch while sprinting to his right on the long-on boundary.
In 11.1 overs, SRH is 139 for 7.
4-0-58-3
Unbelievable numbers for Jofra Archer, who scored a lot of runs; in the 17th over, Shivang Kumar even chased him for 16 runs. However, the final column is the most crucial in this match, and those three wickets were taken by Abhishek, Kishan, and Head. How can you surpass that?
RR triumphs by 47 runs
Sooryavanshi made the game-winning catch by diving forward at short third in a fitting ending. We shall get to witness more of him on Friday when RR plays the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2. What a game and tournament he has had.
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