Rajasthan Royals defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday to advance to Qualifier 2.

The victory keeps the Rajasthan Royals in contention for the championship while eliminating Sunrisers Hyderabad from the tournament. The result sets up a high-stakes encounter between the Royals and the Gujarat Titans.

Playing at the New Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh — also referred to as Mullanpur Stadium — Rajasthan Royals posted a dominant total of 243/8 [1]. The innings was powered by a standout performance from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who scored 97 runs [2]. His aggressive batting provided the foundation for one of the highest scores of the tournament's knockout stage.

Sunrisers Hyderabad faced a target of 244 runs in their attempt to stay alive in the competition [3]. Despite the challenge, the SRH batting lineup struggled to maintain momentum against the Royals' bowling attack. The chase collapsed as SRH lost seven wickets [4], failing to reach the required total.

This defeat marks the end of the road for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2026 season. The Rajasthan Royals now move forward to face the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 [5].

The match highlighted the impact of Sooryavanshi, whose 97-run contribution shifted the momentum early in the game. The inability of SRH to handle the pressure of a 244-run chase underscored the gap in form between the two sides during this eliminator match [3].

“Rajasthan Royals posted a dominant total of 243/8”

The Rajasthan Royals' victory demonstrates their ability to execute under high-pressure knockout conditions. By posting a score exceeding 240 runs, they have established a psychological advantage heading into Qualifier 2. For Sunrisers Hyderabad, the collapse during the chase suggests a critical failure in their middle-order stability when facing elite totals.