IPL 2026 Will Be Remembered As Sooryavanshi's Tournament, Feels Former Chief Selector

Rajasthan Royals stormed into Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2026 playoffs with a 47-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur on Wednesday.

RR raced to 243, driven by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s blistering 97 off just 27 balls, before Jofra Archer’s three-wicket haul helped the former champions bowl SRH out for 196 in 19.2 overs.

Former Indian batter and chief of selectors Krishnamachari Srikanth opined that the 2026 season will be remembered as the season of the young southpaw, who has taken the world by storm.

“Remember Kohli’s 900-run season? And the recall value it has is such that people remember that year as Kohli’s IPL,”

“Similarly, this will be Sooryavanshi’s IPL.”

“This IPL has been all about Sooryavanshi, he

does his job quietly and with humility,”

Srikanth also took a dig

“Never ever mock another team, if you win, move on,”

“Lesson to be learnt is that when you’re doin well, remain humble, don’t toot your own horn,”

Sooryavanshi went after the bowlers from the outset, racing to a fifty in just 16 deliveries and then continuing his assault. His explosive knock carried RR to 80 in the first six overs and past 100 as early as the eighth over. The teenager’s innings featured 12 towering sixes and 5 fours as he tore into SRH’s attack.

The opener shared a 125-run partnership before falling three short of a century, with Praful Hinge dismissing the left-hander. Shivang Kumar sent Jaiswal back for a run-a-ball 29, bringing Dhurv Jurel and Riyan Parag together at the crease. The pair added 55 for the third wicket, with Jurel reaching his half-century in 20 balls before Hinge struck again.

Parag chipped in with 26 off 12 deliveries before Hinge completed his three-fer by removing the RR skipper. Eshan Malinga accounted for compatriot Dasun Shanaka for 5, while Donovan Ferreira was run out for 12. Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger fell cheaply, leaving Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on 12 alongside Sushant Mishra as RR finished on 243/8.

Archer gave RR a dream start with the ball, dismissing Abhishek Sharma for a duck as SRH’s chase began in disastrous fashion. Travis Head and Ishan Kishan added 51, but Archer returned to remove Kishan for a 33 off 11 blitz. Smaran Ravichandran managed just 1 before Burger sent him back, and Archer then claimed his third wicket by removing Head for 17 off 8.

Yash Raj Punja dismissed the dangerous Heinrich Klaasen for 18 off 10, leaving SRH tottering at 81/5 by the seventh over. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Salil Arora tried to revive the chase with a 51-run stand, but Jadeja broke through by sending Reddy back for 38 off 20.

Sushant Mishra then removed SRH captain Pat Cummins for 1 off 2 balls, before Jadeja dismissed Salil for 35 off 21. Burger added the wicket of Malinga for 5 off 8, while Shivang Kumar’s fighting 27 ended when he fell to Mishra, sealing SRH’s exit from the tournament.