Rajasthan Royals kept their IPL 2026 title hopes alive with a commanding 47-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring Eliminator clash at Mullanpur. The night belonged to teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose explosive 97 off just 29 balls sent fans into a frenzy and completely changed the course of the knockout encounter.
After being asked to bat first by Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins, Rajasthan Royals produced a batting masterclass to post a gigantic 243/8 in 20 overs. In reply, SRH fought hard but eventually crumbled under scoreboard pressure and were bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, bringing an end to their IPL 2026 campaign.
With the victory, Rajasthan Royals advanced to Qualifier 2 where they will face Gujarat Titans for a place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi sets Mullanpur on fire
The atmosphere inside the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium turned electric as Suryavanshi unleashed one of the most destructive knocks in IPL playoff history. The 15-year-old left-hander showed no mercy to the SRH bowling attack and hammered boundaries from the very first over.
Suryavanshi combined fearless strokeplay with exceptional timing as he raced to his fifty in just 16 balls. The youngster looked destined to become the fastest centurion in T20 history before falling agonisingly short on 97 off 29 deliveries. His breathtaking innings included five fours and 12 towering sixes that left the crowd roaring in excitement. Every shot from the teenager drew louder cheers as fans witnessed a special innings unfolding on the grand stage.
While Suryavanshi provided the fireworks at the top, Dhruv Jurel added the finishing touch with a blistering 50 off only 21 balls. The wicketkeeper-batter ensured Rajasthan Royals crossed the 240-run mark and carried strong momentum into the innings break.
For Sunrisers Hyderabad, Praful Hinge was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/54, though the bowling unit struggled badly against RR’s relentless attacking approach.
SRH fall short despite fighting effort
Chasing a daunting target of 244, Sunrisers Hyderabad needed a flying start but lost wickets at regular intervals. The pressure of the steep chase forced their batters into risky strokes, allowing Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers to stay in control throughout the innings. Nitish Kumar Reddy tried to keep SRH alive with a quickfire 38 off 20 balls and Salil Arora contributed 35 off 21 deliveries, but neither batter could convert their starts into a match-changing innings.
Whenever SRH threatened to build momentum, Rajasthan Royals found timely breakthroughs. The experienced pace attack delivered under pressure and never allowed the opposition to settle. Jofra Archer led the bowling attack brilliantly and picked up three wickets despite conceding runs in the high-scoring encounter. Nandre Burger also played a crucial role with figures of 2/28, applying pressure during the middle overs. Eventually, SRH were bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, ending their journey in IPL 2026.
RR move one step closer to the final
The emphatic victory sparked huge celebrations among Rajasthan Royals supporters, with fans praising the fearless brand of cricket displayed by the team. Much of the spotlight, however, remained firmly on Suryavanshi, whose sensational knock once again underlined his status as the breakout superstar of IPL 2026.
Rajasthan Royals will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 in what promises to be another thrilling contest. The winner of that clash will secure a place in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Chin up boy 👏🏼 what a CLASS
inning, you’ve taken everyone’s breath away. Star in the making ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/rgkq98SbPg— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) May 27, 2026
This is some hitting from Vaibhav
Very special talent, such confidence at a young age. Cricket has a special player coming through— Sanath Jayasuriya (@Sanath07) May 27, 2026
A very good campaign from @SunRisers but in a knockout game, one dramatic performance can make a difference. And they were just blown away by Sooryavanshi. But so much to be proud of
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 27, 2026
Qualifier 1 match finished in the powerplay of the 2nd innings itself.
Eliminator match finished in the powerplay of the 2nd innings itself.
What happened to the OG IPL scriptwriters? 😔
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) May 27, 2026
Vaibhav told me he wants to score 200 in a T20.
I believe him!— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) May 27, 2026
Took a 15-year-old to break a seemingly unbreakable 14-year-old record. The fastest century will come too. You will break many more records, Vaibhav.
The wonder boy has united the nation in celebration, and how. Keep amazing us! pic.twitter.com/cnges66Uxm
— Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) May 27, 2026
Dictionary doesn’t have enough words to describe what Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has done in this tournament. What a player, what a prodigy. The fact that people are actually waiting to watch him bat proves that Indian future is in safe hands #vaibhavsurvanshi
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) May 27, 2026
We know how to stop Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and our lava-bedded wickets are the way to do it.
— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) May 27, 2026
Jofra archer you beauty 👏
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) May 27, 2026
15-YEARS OLD VAIBHAV SURYAVANSHI PLAYED JUST 22 INNINGS IN IPL & MADE THESE RECORDS: 🔥
– Fastest Hundred by Indians.
– 2nd Fastest Hundred in History.
– 2nd Most Fifties under 20 balls.
– Youngest Centurion in IPL.
– Most Sixes in an IPL season.
– Most sixes in an innings by… pic.twitter.com/llZKXimC5y— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) May 27, 2026
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has completely overshadowed Yashasvi Jaiswal & Abhishek Sharma.
Sharma was a terror among Pakistanis just a few months ago, suddenly eclipsed. Indian T20 batting talent needs to reflect in its bowling as well.
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) May 27, 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has hit eight sixes in his first 16 balls of the IPL eliminator. He has broken Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in an IPL season, 59, set in 2012.
Sooryavanshi is 15, and has 61 sixes in 267 balls this season
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) May 27, 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is taking our collective breath away. Years later, we are going to tell everyone how we watched Vaibhav’s first playoff match. Generational star!
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) May 27, 2026
A speldid win for the Royals 💪
They will now meet Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 2 🔥#SRHvsRR #IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/IcSFEHwvt1— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) May 27, 2026
FIRST SEASON AS CAPTAIN – RAJASTHAN ROYALS INTO QUALIFIER 2…!!!!
– Captain Riyan Parag is here to stay 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QViwcpHDHx
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 27, 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 🙌
61 Sixes in a season and more are comingAb Bol Ke dikhao …. “Ae Bihari” 👌🏻
#SRHvsRR— Manish Pandey (@ManishPandey) May 27, 2026
Sitting in history class ❌
Writing history ✅Thank you for this treat, Vaibhav ☺️ #SRHvsRR
— zomato (@zomato) May 27, 2026
Teams Losing most matches in Eliminator
4 – SRH*
3 – RCB
2 – KKR, LSG, MI, RR
1 – GT
0 – CSK, DC#SRHvsRR pic.twitter.com/ixnI1QAbqf— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) May 27, 2026
