RR Vs SRH Live Score, IPL 2026 Eliminator: Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad Clash In High-Stakes Knockout Battle

Former Australia captain Aaron Finch expects another run-heavy contest in New Chandigarh, describing the pitch for the IPL 2026 Eliminator as “absolutely flat” ahead of the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Speaking during the pre-match pitch report, Finch said, “This is a beautiful wicket. I think anybody in the world would love to put their pads on and come out and attack from here.”

However, Finch added that new-ball bowlers like Jofra Archer and Pat Cummins could still find some early assistance. “There’s enough here, with the brand-new ball, that there’s a couple of little bare patches. Maybe they can get some balls to skid. Maybe they can get some balls to seam. But that will not last very long,” he said.

Finch also backed chasing teams to hold the advantage at the venue, saying he did not expect the surface to change much across the 40 overs. “Chasing later on, that’ll be the way to go,” he added.

Ahead of the Eliminator, Ravindra Jadeja spoke about the backing he received from former Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne during the early stages of his IPL career.

RR vs SRH, IPL 2026 Eliminator - Pitch And Weather Conditions: Pitch No. 4 will be used for tonight’s IPL 2026 Eliminator in New Chandigarh, with conditions expected to favour batters once again. The surface has produced several high-scoring matches this season, including Rajasthan Royals’ successful chase of 223 against Punjab Kings at the venue earlier in the campaign.

Notably, all three IPL 2026 matches played on this pitch have been won by the chasing side, making the toss potentially crucial ahead of the knockout clash. Temperatures are also expected to remain in the mid-to-high 30s Celsius during the game.

Sunrisers Hyderabad assistant coach James Franklin praised Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator, saying the all-rounder has taken his T20 game “to the next level” this season.

Franklin said Reddy took a lot of learnings from the last campaign and highlighted the progress he has made with both bat and ball.

"He has done quite a bit of work on his bowling, he (has) looked as confident as ever with the bat in the early part of our campaign. In terms of the prep work, in the first couple of games he got some validation on that in terms of getting a couple of little cameo scores and partnerships," said Franklin.

Reddy has scored 264 runs and picked up seven wickets in IPL 2026 while taking on a bigger role in SRH’s middle order. Franklin noted that the Indian all-rounder has adapted well to batting lower down the order and finishing innings under pressure.

“His role has obviously been slightly deeper this year,” Franklin said. “He has played some unbelievable cameos for us in finishing off innings.”

The SRH assistant coach also pointed to Reddy’s versatility with the ball, saying Hyderabad have used him in different phases depending on match-ups throughout the season.

(With PTI Inputs)

Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara believes his side will need to match Sunrisers Hyderabad’s aggressive style when the two teams meet in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday.

Speaking after RR sealed their playoff spot with a win over Mumbai Indians, Sangakkara acknowledged the challenge posed by SRH’s explosive batting line-up and said Rajasthan would have to respond with intent in both bowling and execution.

“They bat well. They trust themselves to go hard and they've done it the whole tournament,” Sangakkara said. “We know what we're going to face.”

The RR coach added that his bowlers would need to stay disciplined while still attacking their lengths against Hyderabad’s power-hitters.

Sangakkara also backed under-fire captain Riyan Parag, saying the franchise is ready to give him a long rope as a leader.

"I think I've seen very few players who have been criticised, like Riyan has been criticised for about seven years now. Ever since I came to the franchise, there's always people who like Riyan, but there are a lot of people who didn't really like him, especially on social media," Sangakkara said.

"Having watched him, yes, he will grow. He will mature. He will understand himself a lot more. He will learn to understand his players a lot more. But even today, if you look at the calls he makes as captain, the confidence with which he does, he drags himself almost on one foot sometimes to come and play. There's a huge amount of positives."

"He has captained exceptionally well. He has led his team exceptionally well and when he's in that dressing room, he's got the respect of all the players and the staff. That's all you can ask for."

Sangakkara said Rajasthan Royals will continue to back Riyan as a leader.

"What happens in the next few years, it's a really interesting relationship we have to build with the franchise and Riyan and really help him develop as a captain, as a batter, as a person, and keep supporting him."

"He's a very, very good young man. Sometimes what you see on the outside is not Riyan Parag. Riyan Parag is a lovely, soft, gentle, really determined, smart young man."

(With PTI Inputs)

Rajasthan Royals are expected to receive a timely boost ahead of the Eliminator, with both captain Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja likely to be available despite injury concerns. Parag has been managing a hamstring issue in recent games, while Jadeja has also been nursing an injury, according to RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara.

Both players are nevertheless expected to feature against Sunrisers Hyderabad in New Chandigarh tonight.

SRH, meanwhile, do not have any major injury concerns heading into the knockout clash. Harshal Patel returned in the previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, although Hyderabad could still make a late decision between him and Praful Hinge for the final spot in the playing XI. 

Here's a look at the probable Playing XIs for tonight: 

SRH Possible XI: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Salil Arora, Ravichandran Smaran, Pat Cummins (capt), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain.

RR Possible XI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,  Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (capt), Dasun Shanaka, Donovan Ferreira, Jofra Archer, Shubham Dubey, Ravindra Jadeja, Nandre Burger, Yash Raj Punja,  Brijesh Sharma.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal hailed Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator, describing him as a perfect example of the league’s ability to identify and nurture young talent.

Speaking to The Times of India, Dhumal said: “Vaibhav embodies IPL's tagline which is, ‘where talent meets opportunity.’ That boy is something else, isn't he?”

The RR opener has been one of the breakout stars of the season, scoring 583 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate above 230 while smashing more sixes than boundaries.

Dhumal also credited Rajasthan Royals’ scouting network for identifying the teenager early. “I think it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any scouting or selection team to pick up such amazing talent at such a young age,” he said.

"And the way the boy has matured and performed at this young age is phenomenal. Not only in the IPL, if you look at the U-19 World Cup final, he scored 175 in 80 balls and the team went on to score 411 runs. That is unheard of in U-19 cricket, that too in a World Cup final.

"That augurs very well for Indian cricket per se. And that is the beauty of the IPL. It has been transformative for so many young talents during the past 18-19 years. It has transformed their lives," he added.

The IPL chairman added that both the BCCI and Rajasthan Royals would have an important role in supporting Sooryavanshi through the highs and lows of professional cricket.

"Like any great player, he will also go through ups and downs. That is the uniqueness of sport. He will fail. He will go down. But this is what sport trains you for. You get up and give a better performance in the next game. That is very integral to preparing you for life. Life will never be a one-way street where you only rise.

"I am sure the boy, given his performances throughout this season and as part of the U-19 team, would have seen many failures. But in the next game, he would have tried to perform even better and help his team win," said Dhumal.

The IPL chairman also expressed confidence that the youngster could go on to represent India for many years. 

Sunrisers Hyderabad will enter tonight’s Eliminator with the historical advantage in this rivalry. The two teams have faced each other 21 times in the IPL, with SRH winning 13 matches compared to Rajasthan Royals’ eight victories.

Rajasthan Royals’ run to the IPL 2026 playoffs has largely been driven by the firepower at the top of the order, led by teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable season, scoring 583 runs at a strike rate above 230 while smashing a tournament-leading 53 sixes. His fearless approach has made him one of the breakout stars of the campaign.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has also delivered consistently at the top with nearly 400 runs at a strike rate close to 160, while Dhruv Jurel has added important middle-order contributions with over 400 runs this season. However, RR will hope captain Riyan Parag can rediscover form after a relatively quiet campaign with the bat.

With the ball, Jofra Archer has remained Rajasthan’s biggest weapon. The England pacer has claimed 21 wickets this season, the third-most in IPL 2026, and will once again carry the responsibility of leading the attack in this knockout clash.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will head into the IPL 2026 Eliminator backed by one of the most destructive batting line-ups in the tournament. Heinrich Klaasen has been SRH’s standout performer this season, scoring 606 runs at an average above 50 while striking at nearly 160. The South African is also the only middle-order batter among the top run-scorers this year and recently became the only batter in the tournament's history to bat at no 4 or lower and register 600 runs in a single season. 

Ishan Kishan has also played a key role in Hyderabad’s campaign, stepping up both as a batter and stand-in captain during Pat Cummins’ absence. Kishan has scored 569 runs at a strike rate above 178, while openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head have continued to provide explosive starts at the top.

SRH’s bowling attack has quietly delivered as well. Eshan Malinga has led the pace unit with 19 wickets, while debutants Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge have also made important contributions throughout the season. The attack has looked more settled since Cummins returned to the side ahead of the playoffs.

The IPL has released a cinematic preview ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad completed a league-stage double over Rajasthan Royals earlier this season and will take confidence from those results heading into tonight’s Eliminator.

SRH first defeated RR by 57 runs in Hyderabad before producing one of the standout chases of IPL 2026 in Jaipur, where they hunted down a 229-run target with five wickets in hand and nine balls remaining.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals enter the IPL 2026 Eliminator after contrasting journeys through the league stage.

SRH recovered from a slow start to win five matches in a row and surge into the playoffs, while Rajasthan Royals began the season strongly before slipping into a late battle for qualification.

With both sides having revived their campaigns at different stages, the knockout clash in New Chandigarh promises to be a high-pressure contest between two in-form batting units. Stay tuned to our page for all the live updates from the IPL 2026 Eliminator.