Our Bureau
Chandigarh
Rajasthan Royals advanced to Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League 2026 after defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring Eliminator match on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the New International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. The 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi starred with a breathtaking 29-ball 97, narrowly missing the fastest century in IPL history, as RR posted 243 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and chose to bowl first, but their decision backfired as Sooryavanshi and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal put on a record 125-run partnership for the first wicket. Sooryavanshi smashed 12 sixes and 5 fours in his explosive innings, breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL edition, with 65 maximums. Dhruv Jurel also contributed a rapid 21-ball 50, but no other batter maintained the momentum. For SRH, Praful Hinge took 3 wickets for 54 runs.
Chasing a daunting 244-run target, Sunrisers Hyderabad collapsed under pressure, losing seven wickets and scoring only 148 in 13 overs before getting bowled out at 196. Captain Pat Cummins was dismissed for just 1 run, caught by Jofra Archer off Sushant Mishra’s bowling. Ishan Kishan top-scored for SRH with 33 off 11 balls, including 3 fours and 3 sixes, before falling to Archer. Travis Head managed 17 off 8 balls, and Abhishek Sharma was out for a duck on the second ball of the innings.
Jofra Archer was the standout bowler for RR, claiming 3 wickets in the powerplay alone, while Nandre Burger picked up another 2 wickets. The winner will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 for a chance to reach the final.
