Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2026 campaign came to an end after they lost to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator on Wednesday. Chasing a huge target in a high-pressure knockout game, SRH failed to recover after losing early setbacks and eventually fell short by 47 runs in New Chandigarh.
Despite showing flashes of attacking intent during the chase, Hyderabad never fully managed to regain control after Rajasthan Royals dominated the powerplay with the ball.
After the match, SRH captain Pat Cummins admitted that losing wickets at crucial moments hurt the team badly during the steep chase.
Cummins points to wickets at key moments
Speaking after the defeat, Cummins said chasing a total above 240 always required everything to go perfectly for the batting side.
“A few things have to go right to chase 245 but we lost a couple of wickets at the wrong time. (SRH were) one tiny bit away from being in the top two, but can’t doubt the boys’ efforts.”
Sunrisers Hyderabad entered the Eliminator after narrowly missing out on a top-two finish in the league stage. However, their campaign ended after the batting lineup failed to handle Rajasthan’s aggressive bowling attack.
Cummins praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The SRH skipper also praised Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who completely changed the match with a sensational innings at the top.
The 15-year-old smashed 97 runs off just 29 balls and attacked almost every SRH bowler during the powerplay.
“He played pretty well. A very good pitch but the margins are so small, you miss our yorker but he doesn’t miss. (It was a) pretty good wicket. We are a very well rounded team.“
Vaibhav’s innings helped Rajasthan Royals post a huge total of 243/8, which eventually proved too much for Hyderabad.
SRH captain backs young bowlers
Even though SRH conceded a massive score, Cummins had words of praise for the younger bowlers in the squad, especially Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain.
The Australian captain said Hyderabad’s coaching group deserves credit for developing young talent this season.
“Praful (Hinge) and Sakib (Hussain) were great. We are one of the youngest team to get into the playoffs, and the coaching team have unearthed a few gems.“
Despite the elimination, SRH’s young squad impressed throughout IPL 2026 and remained one of the most dangerous batting teams in the competition.
Also Read: ‘Just leave him…’: Riyan Parag Opens Up On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Fearless Batting
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