Mullanpur:
Rajasthan Royals produced a complete all-round performance to eliminate Sunrisers Hyderabad from IPL 2026, sealing a dominant 47-run victory in the Eliminator clash at Mullanpur on Wednesday.
The win sends Rajasthan Royals into Qualifier 2, where they will face Gujarat Titans for a place in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The night belonged to 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who delivered another extraordinary innings under pressure, smashing 97 runs off just 29 balls to propel Rajasthan Royals to a massive total of 243/8.
Later, Jofra Archer ripped through Sunrisers Hyderabad’s top order with a fiery opening spell, ensuring Pat Cummins’ side never truly recovered in the chase.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Misses Historic Century By Three Runs
Sooryavanshi once again stunned the cricket world with one of the most destructive innings ever seen in an IPL playoff match.
The teenager hammered 12 sixes and five boundaries during his breathtaking knock and came agonisingly close to breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest century in IPL history.
Needing just three runs to surpass Gayle’s iconic 30-ball hundred from 2013, Sooryavanshi mistimed an attempted uppercut against Praful Hinge and was dismissed for 97.
Despite falling short of the milestone, the innings rewrote multiple IPL records and left the Mullanpur crowd in disbelief.
The young opener attacked SRH bowlers from the outset, dismantling the bowling attack with fearless strokeplay.
He reached his fifty in just 16 deliveries, equalling Suresh Raina’s record for the fastest half-century in IPL playoff history.
Dhruv Jurel Keeps Rajasthan Royals’ Momentum Alive
While Sooryavanshi dominated the early overs, Dhruv Jurel provided the finishing acceleration with a blistering 50 off only 21 balls.
Jurel attacked the SRH bowlers with scoops, pulls and powerful straight hits as Rajasthan Royals continued scoring at an aggressive rate even after Sooryavanshi’s dismissal.
However, apart from Jurel, none of the other RR batters managed to convert their starts into substantial scores as wickets fell in clusters towards the end of the innings.
Still, Rajasthan Royals managed to finish with a mammoth total of 243/8 — one of the highest scores recorded in IPL playoff history.
Jofra Archer Destroys SRH’s Top Order
Chasing 244, Sunrisers Hyderabad needed a strong start but were immediately pushed onto the back foot by Archer’s devastating spell.
The England pacer removed dangerous opener Abhishek Sharma, followed by Travis Head and Ishan Kishan in a destructive opening burst.
Those early wickets completely derailed SRH’s chase.
Captain Pat Cummins and the middle order attempted to rebuild, but the required rate kept climbing rapidly.
Sunrisers Hyderabad never managed to regain control of the chase and were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs.
Rajasthan Royals March Into Qualifier 2
The emphatic victory means Rajasthan Royals remain alive in the race for the IPL 2026 title.
They will now take on Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 after GT suffered a heavy defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier 1.
For Rajasthan Royals, the biggest positive remains the stunning form of Sooryavanshi, who continues to dominate bowling attacks despite being only 15 years old.
His latest innings further cemented his status as the breakout star of IPL 2026 and one of the most exciting young talents in world cricket.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Record-Breaking IPL 2026 Continues
The teenager added several more milestones to his remarkable season during the innings:
- Most sixes in a single IPL season
- Most sixes in an IPL playoff innings
- Most runs by an uncapped player in an IPL season
- Joint-fastest IPL playoff fifty
- Most sixes by an Indian batter in an IPL innings
Sooryavanshi has now become one of the defining stories of IPL 2026, with his fearless batting style drawing comparisons with some of the biggest T20 stars in the world.