Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 97 Stuns SRH as RR Storm Into IPL 2026 Qualifier 2
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered one of the greatest IPL playoff knocks with a stunning 97 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The 15-year-old broke Chris Gayle’s six-hitting record as Rajasthan Royals secured a dominant 47-run win to enter Qualifier 2.
May 28. 2026: Rajasthan Royals delivered a sensational all-round performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator, securing a dominant 47-run victory to book their place in Qualifier 2. The match was expected to be a close contest because both teams possessed explosive batting line-ups, but Rajasthan completely outplayed Hyderabad in every department. The biggest reason behind the one-sided result was the breathtaking innings played by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The young Rajasthan Royals opener stole the spotlight with a brutal knock of 97 runs off just 29 balls. Before the game, SRH captain Pat Cummins had confidently said that his team had plans A, B and C ready for the Bihar-born batter. However, once the match began, none of those plans worked as Sooryavanshi completely dominated the Hyderabad pacers. He smashed 12 massive sixes during his innings and broke Chris Gayle’s 14-year-old record for the most sixes in a single IPL season. The teenager also created another record by hitting the most sixes in the powerplay of an IPL match.
After Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, Dhruv Jurel continued the momentum with a fiery 50 off just 21 balls. At one stage, Rajasthan looked set to cross the 270-run mark, but Hyderabad managed to pull things back slightly in the death overs. Praful Hinge, who returned to the side for the Eliminator, picked up three important wickets, while Nitish Kumar Reddy also bowled crucial overs towards the end. Rajasthan Royals eventually finished with a massive total of 243/8 in 20 overs.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is named the Player of the Match 🏅
Relive his knock ▶️ https://t.co/LvujhtkB58 #TATAIPL | #Eliminator | #TheFinalLeap | #SRHvRR pic.twitter.com/9rLfJrJQd5
Jofra Archer destroys SRH’s top order
Despite the huge target, Sunrisers Hyderabad still had hope because of their powerful batting line-up. However, Jofra Archer quickly changed the game with a stunning spell in the powerplay. The England fast bowler removed Abhishek Sharma for a duck before dismissing Travis Head soon after. With those early breakthroughs, Rajasthan Royals pushed Hyderabad completely onto the back foot.
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan tried to fight back with a quick 33 off just 11 balls, while Nitish Kumar Reddy added 38 from 20 deliveries. Batting lower down the order, Heinrich Klaasen scored 18, and Salil Arora played a fighting knock of 35 runs. Shivang Kumar also chipped in with 27, but Rajasthan’s bowlers kept striking regularly and never allowed Hyderabad to build a match-winning partnership.
Archer finished as the star with the ball after taking three crucial wickets in the powerplay and effectively sealing SRH’s fate. Ravindra Jadeja and Nandre Burger claimed two wickets each, while Sushant Mishra also contributed with two important scalps. Rajasthan Royals eventually bowled Sunrisers Hyderabad out for 196 in 19.2 overs to complete a memorable victory.
With the win, Rajasthan Royals advanced to Qualifier 2, where they will face Gujarat Titans for a place in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, the defeat marked the end of their campaign.
IPL 2026 Eliminator Brief Scorecard
- Rajasthan Royals – 243/8 (20 overs)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad – 196 all out (19.2 overs)
- Result -Rajasthan Royals won by 47 runs