Rajasthan Royals Defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad to Enter IPL 2026 Qualifier 2

Rajasthan Royals Score 243 Runs

The star of the match was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made a sensational impact after arriving early to the game. His explosive innings of 97 runs off just 29 balls completely dismantled the Sunrisers' bowling attack and set the stage for the Royals' success. Dhruv Jurel also played a crucial role in maintaining the team's momentum from the middle order. However, the Royals stumbled after Jurel's departure, finishing their innings at 243 for 8.

Hyderabad Top Order Fails

In response, Hyderabad had a daunting target of 244 runs but were bowled out for 196 in just 19.2 overs, despite some spirited performances in the middle order. Abhishek Sharma's early dismissal for a duck was a significant blow to their chances. Ishan Kishan showed promise but fell victim to Jofra Archer, who then added to his tally by claiming Travis Head’s wicket.

With the top three back in the pavilion, all eyes were on Heinrich Klaasen, but Yash Raj Punja's dismissal of him put Sunrisers firmly on the back foot. As wickets continued to fall, Hyderabad's hopes dwindled, and they were ultimately all out for 196. 

Parag Praises Bowlers For Effort

Riyan Parag, Rajasthan Royals captain said, “Yeah, a good game. Again, I think I like to be a perfectionist. I know it's not going to be a perfect game altogether. But even today, we should have gotten 260, right? So a bit to work on that. How to finish off innings after we get a start like Vaibhav did. But with the ball, I think I was really impressed. I think we held our calm. They got a lot of runs in the second over or the first, once Ishan and Travis added a few boundaries, but I think we came back really well and a good performance altogether,” regarding the win.

Playing Xl's: SRH AND RR

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja