All eyes will be on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in his first IPL Playoffs match. | Photo Credit: PTI

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals will look to keep their IPL 2026 title hopes alive when they lock horns in the Eliminator in New Chandigarh on May 27.

Wednesday’s contest will mark the third meeting between the two sides this season, with SRH emerging victorious on both previous occasions. It clinched the first encounter in Hyderabad by 57 runs, courtesy of Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain combining for eight wickets, before nullifying Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s second IPL century in the reverse fixture in Jaipur.

Follow the match here.

The winner of the Eliminator will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on May 29.

Here are three key battles that could shape the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals:

Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head (SRH) vs Jofra Archer (RR)

Jofra Archer’s scintillating spell with the new ball against Mumbai Indians played a pivotal role in steering Rajasthan Royals into the Eliminator, underlining just how crucial the England quick is to the side’s success. Archer has taken eight wickets at an average of 17.12 and an economy rate of 8.05 in RR’s seven wins this season, compared to just three wickets at 44 with an economy of 11.00 in defeats.

Those numbers set up a tantalising PowerPlay battle with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head.

There have usually been fireworks whenever these players have crossed paths in T20 cricket. Archer has dismissed Head three times and Abhishek once, for a first-ball duck in the Hyderabad clash earlier in the season, though the SRH openers have scored at strike rates of 160.60 and 177.14 against him respectively.

ALSO READ: IPL 2026: Fearless batting units collide as Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals clash in Eliminator

Pat Cummins (SRH) vs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)

RR’s batting this season has largely revolved around the remarkable exploits of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has amassed 583 runs in 14 outings at a staggering strike rate of 232.27.

Sooryavanshi’s rapid scoring rate means he is capable of taking a game away from the opposition if he settles in, underlining the importance of dismissing him early. For SRH, that responsibility is likely to rest with captain Pat Cummins, who has taken the new ball since returning to the side in 2026.

Cummins missed the first meeting between the two sides, while in the second, where Sooryavanshi hammered a 36-ball century, the Australian managed to bowl just four deliveries to the 15-year-old, conceding eight runs.

Shivang Kumar (SRH) vs Dhruv Jurel (RR)

Outside of Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel has been RR’s second-best batter this season. Jurel has made the most of his promotion to No. 3, accumulating a career-best 458 runs at a strike rate of 149.67.

However, he has appeared far more fluent against pace than spin. Jurel strikes at 161.45 against quicks, but only 129.82 against tweakers, reflecting a tendency to get tied down.

SRH could therefore turn to left-arm wrist-spinner Shivang Kumar, one of its standout discoveries this season, to restrict Jurel’s scoring rate and keep RR’s total in check. There is also a case for bringing in left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey, although that carries the risk of exposing him to the left-handed Sooryavanshi.

Published on May 27, 2026