Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad are set for a high-pressure IPL 2026 Eliminator clash in Mullanpur, with both teams carrying contrasting momentum and significant pressure into the knockout encounter. Just 10 days ago, RR captain Riyan Parag openly questioned his team’s playoff credentials after a damaging three-match losing streak threatened to derail their campaign. At that stage, Rajasthan Royals appeared in danger of losing complete control of their season as small tactical errors and inconsistent performances became major concerns.
However, RR managed to steady themselves at the perfect time, registering back-to-back victories against the bottom two sides to seal a playoff berth. Despite qualifying, the Rajasthan Royals still enter the Eliminator as underdogs, especially considering the tournament’s history. Since the IPL playoff format was introduced, only one team has gone on to win the title after featuring in the Eliminator — Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016.
Interestingly, SRH now have the opportunity to repeat that achievement in IPL 2026. Sunrisers Hyderabad have been one of the most dangerous batting sides this season, although their campaign has also exposed certain vulnerabilities. Outside a narrow defeat against Lucknow Super Giants, all of SRH’s losses have been one-sided, with the Pat Cummins-led side struggling badly whenever their aggressive batting approach has failed.
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Their shocking total of 86 against the Gujarat Titans eventually proved costly in the race for a top-two finish due to net run rate. However, SRH will take confidence from their dominant record against the Rajasthan Royals, having won six consecutive matches against them since 2022. Overall, Sunrisers Hyderabad lead the head-to-head battle 14-9. Conditions in Mullanpur could also play a major role in the Eliminator.
Extreme temperatures across North India have kept evening conditions challenging, with temperatures staying above 40 degrees Celsius even after sunset. SRH assistant coach James Franklin confirmed that Pitch No. 4 will be used for the knockout clash. The same surface previously produced a high-scoring contest where the Punjab Kings chased down 219 comfortably against the SRH. The venue has generally favoured batters, with the average first-innings score standing at 214 this season.
However, spinners have quietly enjoyed greater control in Mullanpur, maintaining a better economy rate than pacers — a factor that could become crucial in the knockout battle.
Rajasthan Royals (RR)
Rajasthan Royals could face a few fitness concerns ahead of their IPL 2026 Eliminator clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Dasun Shanaka confirming that both Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja are dealing with “a few niggles.” During the training session, Ravindra Jadeja was seen batting with light throwdowns while wearing only one pad after earlier bowling casually in the nets. If the experienced all-rounder fails to recover fully, Rajasthan Royals may turn to Ravi Bishnoi, who bowled an extended spell during practice.
Riyan Parag, meanwhile, did not participate fully in batting drills and mostly observed training from a distance. Despite the concern, the RR captain is still expected to feature, especially after indicating following the Mumbai Indians game that he was prepared to push through discomfort during the playoffs.
Probable XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag ( c ), Dasun Shanaka, Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Shubham Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja/Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Yash Raj Punja, Brijesh Sharma
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
SRH, on the other hand, have no major injury concerns heading into the Eliminator. Much of the focus will once again be on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who already smashed a century against SRH earlier this season.
Pat Cummins and Harshal Patel could prove crucial for Hyderabad. Cummins has dismissed Parag three times in just 14 balls in T20 cricket, while Harshal boasts 23 wickets against Rajasthan Royals and an impressive record in Mullanpur.
Probable XII: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Harshal Patel/Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
