The Eliminator clash of the IPL 2026 will see Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur. The Pat Cummins-led side has been one of the most dominant teams in the competition, but consistency is where they struggled. The Orange camp registered dominant wins and also suffered heavy defeats, leaving little middle ground. Except for a last-ball loss to Lucknow Super Giants, every other defeat has come without much resistance.
Batting remains Hyderabadโs strongest department, but their collapse for 86 against Gujarat Titans proved costly in the final standings. The resulting net run-rate damage denied them a top-two finish. In the meantime, they will be confident of their chances as their bowling unit has finally started to show some form. The return of Cummins to the playing XI, certainly helped them with the momentum.ย
Rajasthan, in the meantime, depend heavily on their top four batters. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag need to once again step up and help the team in the must-win game. The captain himself has had a poor season so far and that needs to change as Parag needs to shoulder more responsibility. Especially when Rajasthanโs lower middle order has failed to live up to the expectations.ย
Notably, a little over a week ago, their campaign appeared to be slipping away after a sequence of defeats left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. Questions around balance, temperament and execution had begun to surround the side as the league stage approached its decisive stretch.
Since then, Rajasthan have steadied themselves with back-to-back victories against the bottom two teams in the standings. The turnaround was enough to keep them alive, although doubts remain over whether they possess the same authority as the other playoff contenders. Their route to the title is also statistically difficult. In the history of the IPL playoff system, only one side has lifted the trophy after playing the Eliminator.
MYSC Stadium, Mullanpur Pitch Report
Pitch number four will be used for the match against Hyderabad and Rajasthan. The surface is expected to assist the batters as a high-scoring game is anticipated. Anything above 230 runs can be considered a safe score. Meanwhile, bowling first will be ideal, but it wonโt be surprising if the captain winning the toss opts to bat to build pressure on the opposition team.ย
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