Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) by five wickets in the 36th match of the IPL 2026 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. After being invited to bat first, Rajasthan Royals posted 228/6 on the scoreboard in 20 overs. However, the record chase by Punjab Kings and the high-scoring trend made it unclear whether this total would be enough. Eventually, it was not.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 103 runs off just 37 balls. He reached his century in only 36 deliveries and hit a six almost every third ball before getting out. However, the rest of the RR batting lineup failed to support him properly. While he dominated the scoring, his teammates and extras together managed only 125 runs off 83 balls. Eshan Malinga (2/38 in 4 overs) was the most successful bowler for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In reply, SRH showed better balance in their batting. Although Jofra Archer (2/34 in 4 overs) gave RR a strong start by dismissing Travis Head in the first over, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan quickly shifted the momentum. Both batters got some early luck, as several chances were dropped in the field. Overall, both teams dropped multiple catches, which influenced the match.
Individually, neither Abhishek nor Kishan scored as quickly as Sooryavanshi. However, together they built a powerful partnership. While RR’s best stand was 112 runs between Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel, SRH went one step ahead. Abhishek and Kishan added 132 runs in just 55 balls.
After Donovan Ferreira broke the partnership, SRH needed only nine runs per over in the final 10 overs. They comfortably achieved the target with nine balls to spare. With this win, SRH earned crucial points and are sitting in 3rd position on the points table, just above Rajasthan Royals, who are in 4th position.
Sooryavanshi Starts with Explosive Intent
Earlier, Sooryavanshi attacked from the very beginning. Facing Praful Hinge in the first over, he started with a dot ball. However, he immediately responded by hitting four consecutive sixes. He punished both short and full deliveries with ease, showing excellent control.
Soon after, he faced Pat Cummins for the first time. Cummins bowled a sharp short ball, but Sooryavanshi reacted quickly and smashed it for another six. At that point, he had hit five sixes in his first six balls.
Although he could not maintain that exact rate, he continued scoring aggressively. He reached 51 runs off just 16 balls during the powerplay. In fact, he brought up another 15-ball half-century, marking his third such effort this season. He also became the fastest player to reach 1000 T20 runs in terms of balls faced.
However, he did get lucky once. Aniket Verma dropped him near the boundary when he was on 32.
Innovation and Milestones
Even after fielders spread out, Sooryavanshi kept finding boundaries. He used innovative shots to disturb the bowlers’ plans. For example, he played a reverse-swat over backward point and followed it with a six over long-on.
Eventually, he reached his century after hitting Sakib Hussain for 6, 4, and 6. However, he fell soon after while attempting a reverse scoop.
This was his second IPL hundred and only slightly slower than his first, which came off 35 balls. Now, he holds the second- and third-fastest centuries in IPL history—all at the age of just 15.
RR Struggle Beyond Their Star Batter
Meanwhile, RR’s other batters failed to build momentum. Dhruv Jurel scored 51 off 35 balls but struggled early in his innings. Riyan Parag continued his poor form and got out for just 7 runs.
At the death, Pat Cummins and Eshan Malinga bowled accurate yorkers, restricting RR’s scoring. Only Donovan Ferreira added quick runs with 33 off 16 balls.
Archer Starts Strong but SRH Take Control
While defending, Jofra Archer made an immediate impact. He troubled Travis Head early and eventually dismissed him with a sharp delivery. He also tested Ishan Kishan with a bouncer, which resulted in a lucky edge for six.
However, SRH soon took control. Abhishek Sharma also got early luck, including an edge over slip and dropped catches by Shimron Hetmyer and Ravindra Jadeja.
As a result, both Abhishek and Kishan attacked freely, especially through the off side. RR’s bowlers struggled with line and execution. Tushar Deshpande, for example, failed to maintain consistent accuracy.
Additionally, RR delayed using their main spinners. By the time Ravi Bishnoi and Jadeja came into the attack, the game had already slipped away.
SRH Finish the Chase Comfortably
Finally, Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy guided SRH closer to the target. Klaasen scored 29 off 24 balls, while Reddy added 36 off 18. Although both got out late, they had already taken SRH near victory.
In the end, SRH completed the chase comfortably, once again proving their batting depth and teamwork.
Brief Scorecard
