Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma delivered explosive half-centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad triumphed over Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets in their IPL 2026 encounter. Kishan emerged as the leading run-scorer with 74 runs while Abhishek contributed a blistering 57 as SRH successfully hunted down a target of 229. Previously, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi crafted a phenomenal century in merely 36 balls as RR accumulated 228/6. Sooryavanshi made history by becoming the inaugural IPL batsman to register two centuries in 40 deliveries or fewer, forging an outstanding alliance with Dhruv Jurel. Eshan Malinga emerged as SRH’s premier bowler claiming two scalps while Pat Cummins delivered a tight spell upon his comeback. SRH Successfully Chases 229 Despite Sooryavanshi’s Record Century .
TOSS-
Sunrisers Hyderabad secured the toss and chose to bowl first.
PLAYING XI –
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI):
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(w), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI):
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma
RAJASTHAN ROYALS-
Praful Hinge made his comeback to the SRH lineup but faced a brutal welcome from the same team he had devastated on debut by reducing them to 1/3. Sooryavanshi attacked relentlessly, launching four maximums in the opening over before dispatching Pat Cummins’ first delivery for another six. Fortune favored him with a dropped chance and another that fell just short of a fielder. He capitalized brilliantly, notching his third 15-ball fifty of the season.
He consistently targeted the mid-wicket region and the ‘V’ area, leaving SRH scrambling for solutions, while treating slower balls with equal contempt. He then unleashed a sequence of 6, 4, 6 off Sakib Hussain to complete a stunning 36-ball century. His dismissal came while attempting an ambitious reverse-scoop, falling LBW. Worryingly, he later needed assistance leaving the field with a calf injury – a concern RR hope won’t affect their remaining fixtures.
Dhruv Jurel adopted a measured approach during the Powerplay and beyond, managing just 27 off 25 balls initially. He shifted into higher gear during the 11th over, launching a massive 101-metre six off Eshan Malinga followed by a boundary. His acceleration continued as he reached a 34-ball fifty with an elegant straight drive, though his innings ended shortly afterward. Donovan Ferreira, promoted to number 5, hammered three boundaries and an equal number of sixes, particularly punishing Sakib Hussain’s slower deliveries. At 184/3 after 15 overs, RR appeared poised for a total approaching 250.
However, a defensive masterpiece led by Cummins himself changed the narrative. The returning SRH captain demolished Riyan Parag with a devastating yorker and maintained his assault on the blockhole while consistently exceeding 140 kph. Though Hussain couldn’t maintain the pressure, Malinga executed his yorkers effectively, delivering a economical five-run 19th over, while Hinge – who bowled four dots in the 16th – concluded the innings with a 10-run final over that included Shimron Hetmyer’s wicket. He nearly claimed Ravindra Jadeja as well, but Travis Head grassed a catch off the final delivery.
SUNRISERS HYDERABAD-
The conditions resembled a day-night Test match in Perth. Jofra Archer generated substantial swing, extracted sharp seam movement, and recorded impressive speeds. Head struggled from the first ball but survived when Jurel spilled a diving chance to his left. The left-hander continued facing difficulty, beaten comprehensively multiple times in the opening over, before Archer found the edge again. This time, Jurel made no mistake.
Kishan faced a hostile bouncer that somehow connected with the bat’s top edge and sailed over Jurel’s head for six. Archer maintained his intensity in his second spell and troubled the batsmen consistently, though luck eluded him.
The Abhishek-Kishan partnership forced RR into defensive mode. Their mid-innings departures didn’t immediately threaten SRH’s chase, despite Parag’s bold decision to use Donovan Ferreira (and himself) before Ravi Bishnoi, which paid off when Ferreira removed Abhishek. Archer’s inevitable return brought Kishan’s wicket, but another fielding lapse saw Brijesh drop Nitish Reddy at deep third man. Both Nitish and Heinrich Klaasen contributed valuable cameos, and a costly 20-run 17th over from Tushar Deshpande eliminated any remaining hopes of a Royals revival. Fittingly, Salil Arora completed the victory with a six.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan Royals 228/6 in 20 overs [Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 103 (37), Dhruv Jurel 51 (35), Donovan Ferreira 33 (16); Eshan Malinga 2-38] lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 229/5 in 18.3 overs [Ishan Kishan 74 (31), Abhishek Sharma 57 (29), Nitish Kumar Reddy 36 (18); Jofra Archer 2-34] by 5 wickets.
About the Author
