New Chandigarh: Rajasthan Royals (243/8 in 20 overs) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (196 all out in 19.2 overs) by 47 runs in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday to book a place in Qualifier 2. Rajasthan will now face Gujarat Titans on Friday, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final against Bengaluru. Hyderabad’s campaign ended with the defeat, while Thursday has been scheduled as a rest day in the tournament.
Just a day after Gujarat’s collapse against Bengaluru, Hyderabad suffered a similar fate against Rajasthan. Known for their explosive batting and high-scoring chases, Hyderabad were expected to back their batting strength. However, captain Pat Cummins chose to field after winning the toss, a decision Rajasthan capitalised on by piling up a massive 243 runs.
The foundation of Rajasthan’s victory was laid by teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who smashed 97 runs off just 29 balls, including 12 sixes and five fours.
Rajasthan pacer Sushant Mishra claimed the prized wicket of Pat Cummins, which was also his maiden IPL wicket. Jofra Archer picked up three wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja, Sushant Mishra and Burger claimed two wickets each. Yash Raj Punj chipped in with one wicket.
Jadeja provided the decisive breakthrough in the 11th over when he dismissed Nitish Reddy. Nitish had scored 38 runs and shared a 56-run partnership with Salil Arora (35 off 21 balls, two sixes and two fours), briefly reviving Hyderabad’s hopes. However, Jadeja’s strike turned the tide firmly in Rajasthan’s favour.
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Hyderabad’s top order failed to deliver when it mattered most. Abhishek Sharma was dismissed for a duck, while Travis Head (17), Ishan Kishan (33) and Heinrich Klaasen (18) could not make significant contributions.
Earlier, Rajasthan posted 243/8 after being put in to bat. Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal (29 off 29 balls, four fours) added 125 runs in the first eight overs, giving the innings tremendous momentum.
However, Rajasthan managed fewer than 40 runs in the final five overs.
Wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel also made a valuable contribution with a blistering 50 off 21 balls, including three sixes and five fours.
For Hyderabad, Prafulla Hinge picked up three wickets, while Shivang, Eshan Malinga and Nitish Reddy claimed one wicket each. Pat Cummins went wicketless despite conceding 64 runs, while Saqib Hussain also failed to take a wicket and gave away 52 runs.
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Vaibhav Breaks Multiple Records, Leaves Legends Behind
Rajasthan Royals’ teenage opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history in the IPL Eliminator by shattering multiple records and eclipsing several legendary names.
Although he narrowly missed a century, the 15-year-old’s breathtaking 97 off 29 balls, featuring 12 sixes and five fours, will be remembered for years. Remarkably, after scoring only seven runs from his first four deliveries, he blasted 41 runs off his next 12 balls.
Vaibhav crossed the 600-run mark in IPL 2026, smashed a half-century in just 16 balls and surpassed Chris Gayle’s record of 59 sixes in a single IPL season. He now has 65 sixes this season.
His 16-ball fifty also equalled the fastest half-century in IPL playoff history, matching Suresh Raina’s record. Adam Gilchrist occupies third place on the list with a 17-ball fifty.
Vaibhav has also become the youngest player ever to score 600-plus runs in an IPL season. At just 15 years of age, he broke the previous record held by Rishabh Pant, who achieved the feat at 21.
The youngster registered his fifth IPL half-century before the completion of the six-over powerplay. The overall record remains with David Warner, who reached fifty inside the powerplay on six occasions.
Vaibhav also set a new IPL record by smashing eight sixes within the powerplay in a single match. In doing so, he surpassed former record-holders Sanath Jayasuriya and Jos Buttler, who had each hit seven powerplay sixes in an IPL innings.
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