• Source:JND

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another unforgettable performance as Rajasthan Royals (RR) defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 47 runs in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday. The young batter’s explosive innings, followed by a fiery spell from Jofra Archer, helped Rajasthan book a place in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi steals the spotlight

The 15-year-old once again showed why he is being called one of cricket’s brightest young stars. Sooryavanshi smashed 97 runs from just 29 balls and lit up the stadium with 12 massive sixes. He came close to breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest century in IPL history but missed out by only a few runs.

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From the very beginning, the left-hander attacked every bowler with confidence. Anything pitched full disappeared straight down the ground, while short deliveries were sent flying over the boundary. The SRH bowlers, including captain Pat Cummins, had no answer to his fearless batting.

Sooryavanshi reached his half-century in only 16 balls, with most of those scoring shots coming through sixes. During his knock, he also broke Gayle’s record for most sixes in a single IPL season. He now has 65 sixes this year.

The youngster looked set for a century before he was caught in the eighth over. Even though he fell three runs short of a hundred, the crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked back slowly to the pavilion.

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Rajasthan Royals post a huge total

Batting first, Rajasthan Royals finished with 243 for eight in 20 overs. While Sooryavanshi dominated the innings, Dhruv Jurel also played an important role with a quick 50 off 21 balls.

Yashasvi Jaiswal supported Sooryavanshi at the top but mostly watched the fireworks from the other end during his 29-run knock.

At one stage, Rajasthan looked ready to cross 260 as they reached 180 for two after 13 overs. However, SRH fought back strongly in the final overs and picked up wickets regularly. The last five overs produced only 36 runs and five wickets for Hyderabad.

Despite the late comeback, the damage had already been done. Cummins had a difficult outing with the ball, giving away 64 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket.

Jofra Archer destroys SRH top order

Chasing 244 was always going to be tough, but Archer made it even harder with a brilliant opening spell.

The fast bowler removed Abhishek Sharma with a sharp short ball before dismissing Ishan Kishan soon after. Travis Head also failed to handle Archer’s pace and lost his stumps early.

SRH were left struggling at 57 for four inside five overs, and from there, the chase never really recovered.

Although the Hyderabad middle order tried to fight back, the target proved too big. SRH were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, ending their IPL 2026 campaign.

RR to face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2

With the win, Rajasthan Royals moved into Qualifier 2, where they will take on Gujarat Titans for a place in the final. The winner of that match will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 final.


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