The Eliminator game in the IPL has seen the biggest exits made in the tournament over the years. One bad day has meant the end of one’s season. Over time, some of the big franchises in the IPL have had
the misfortune of suffering embarrassing defeats in this game despite showing good form during the league stage. The latest Eliminator defeat has put Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of all other teams on this list due to the team's elimination by Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. Other big franchises that have experienced Eliminator woes include Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians.
Rajasthan Royals recently eliminated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator of IPL 2026 at Mullanpur. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, still only 18 years old, slammed 97 off just 29 balls with 12 of his shots being sixes to get the ball rolling within the first ten overs of the power play. The SRH could never recover from this. Needing 243 to win, they lost four of their players within the first six overs and ended up on 196.
🎥 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 🩷 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi takes the winning catch and caps off an unforgettable night ✨#TATAIPL | #Eliminator | #TheFinalLeap | #SRHvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/pR2OjgrrJv
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 27, 2026
Sunrisers Hyderabad - 4 Eliminator Defeats
Sunrisers Hyderabad now hold the record for the most defeats in IPL Eliminator matches. SRH have played six Eliminators, winning only two and losing four. Their exits came in 2013 against Rajasthan Royals, 2017 against Kolkata Knight Riders, 2019 against Delhi Capitals and again in 2026 against Rajasthan Royals. The pattern has remained similar. Either the batting has collapsed under scoreboard pressure or the bowling attack has failed early. The 2026 defeat summed up their struggles perfectly. They leaked 242/8 and then lost control of the chase within the powerplay itself.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru - 3 Eliminator Defeats
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru team remains one of the most talked about teams in the history of IPL play-offs because of their failure in the Eliminator stage time and again. The team was involved in five matches during this stage of IPL, but they have been on the losing side thrice out of the five. This happened when they were up against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2020, Kolkata Knight Riders in 2021, and Rajasthan Royals in 2024. During all these games, poor batting was what did the team in. They scored a mere 131/7 in 2020 and failed to defend 172 in 2024 due to faltering in the middle overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders - 3 Eliminator Defeats
Kolkata Knight Riders have also struggled in Eliminator matches despite their strong IPL legacy. KKR have played five Eliminators and lost three. Their early exits came against Mumbai Indians in 2011 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016 before another disappointing knockout collapse in recent years. A recurring issue has been unstable batting under pressure. In the 2016 Eliminator against SRH, KKR could only reach 140/8 while chasing 163. Similar batting collapses and tactical mistakes have repeatedly ended their campaigns despite experienced line-ups.
Mumbai Indians - 3 Eliminator Defeats
The Mumbai Indians have always been a team that dominates the playoffs in the game of cricket. However, this is not the case with their participation in the Eliminator match. The team has played in five Eliminator matches and has won only two of those. Some of their losses in the eliminator include defeat in 2012, 2014 and a huge embarrassment in the IPL Eliminator in 2026 against the Rajasthan Royals. In the most recent defeat, they scored 205/8 while chasing a target of 175/9 despite the contributions of 60 by Suryakumar Yadav. Historically, MI have looked vulnerable when entering the playoffs without a top-two finish.
