HIGHLIGHTS Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2026 Match 36 - Result, Scorecard

All in readiness for SRH's batting reply to get underway. Riyan Parag and his men have taken the field. Ravi Bishnoi has been introduced as RR's Impact Sub, replacing Yashasvi Jaiswal. They are followed by the two SRH openers, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Jofra Archer will steam in first up for the Royals. Archer to Head. A slip in place. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

From early struggles to a strong finish - Sunrisers Hyderabad took a real pounding in the Powerplay, but Pat Cummins stood out with his experience, keeping things relatively tight. Eshan Malinga struck early, but they couldn't quite build on that momentum. The turnaround came when Nitish Kumar Reddy removed Dhruv Jurel and Sakib Hussain dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, allowing SRH to claw their way back into the contest. They executed their yorkers brilliantly at the death, with Malinga conceding just 5 runs in the penultimate over to finish with 2/38. Cummins was the most economical, but the likes of Hinge and Sakib proved expensive, while a costly drop from Aniket Verma didn't help their cause. With that phase now behind them, SRH will need their batters to come out firing if they are to chase this down. Join us in a bit for the second essay.

The centurion speaks - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is up for a chat and slips on the Orange Cap. He says there was no specific plan for a first-ball six, but the idea was to play freely and back his natural game. He felt the wicket was good for batting and focused on visualising the shots he wanted to play while giving his 100 per cent for the team. Vaibhav shares that the pitch offered some assistance to the fast bowlers with the new ball, but overall played well. He also mentions the importance of discipline with the ball and sticking to the execution of plans.

Sooryavanshi sets it alight early - Rajasthan Royals got off to a flying start, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashing four sixes in the very first over. Yashasvi Jaiswal couldn't make much of an impact, but the youngster carried on relentlessly, racing to a stunning 15-ball fifty. He then found good support in Dhruv Jurel, who took a little time to settle but eventually brought up a half-century, though he could have been slightly more aggressive. The pair stitched together a 112-run stand, with Sooryavanshi going on to a blistering hundred before falling soon after. Since his dismissal, the scoring rate dipped noticeably, but Donovan Ferreira’s quickfire 33 off 16 pushed them to a good total, even if they would have wanted a few more in the final overs.

Death overs deny Royals more - A solid batting effort from Rajasthan Royals, but once again, they fell short of finishing strongly with that late surge, even though this turned out to be the highest IPL total at this venue. Sunrisers Hyderabad would have gladly taken this after a difficult start, and they were exceptional at the death, executing their plans to perfection and conceding just 44 runs in the final five overs.

Praful Hinge to Ravindra Jadeja, Taken, or is it? With a deep backward point in place, Hinge bangs it in short but does not offer much pace for Jadeja to work with. Ravindra hops and flays at it. Gets the height but not the distance. Travis Head moves across to his left in the deep and leans forward to take the catch. The on-field umpires want to be sure, and the third umpire is summoned for a check. The replays show that the ball burst out a bit out of Head's hands and came in contact with the turf. Not deemed as a fair catch, but the batters did not run, assuming that the catch would be taken. Not great decision-making, and not running on the final ball could prove costly. Rajasthan Royals finish with 228/6.

Praful Hinge to Jofra Archer, Right in the blockhole, around leg, Archer clears the front leg to go big on the leg side. He fails to connect and the ball deflects off the pads towards point for a leg bye.

Praful Hinge to Jofra Archer, Praful nails the yorker, on middle. Jofra drops his bat down and squeezes it out to the right of long on and the batters come charging back for the second run.

Another one bites the dust. Jofra Archer walks out to bat now.

Praful Hinge to Shimron Hetmyer, OUT! CAUGHT! Shimron Hetmyer throws his head back in disappointment. This was there to be put away but he has picked out the fielder. Hinge attempts the yorker but it comes out as a full toss, on middle. Hetmyer's weight stays back as he heaves across the line. He gets no power on the shot and holes out to deep mid-wicket, where Nitish Kumar Reddy crouches and takes it near his waist.

Praful Hinge to Shimron Hetmyer, Low full toss, on middle, Hetmyer swats it to the left of long on for a couple of runs.

Praful Hinge to Shimron Hetmyer, FOUR! Nicely done! Not a bad ball at all from Hinge. He goes wide on the crease and nearly gets the yorker in. Hetmyer gets just enough width to free his arms, and he glides it with an open bat face past backward point for a boundary.

Praful Hinge to Shimron Hetmyer, Wide! Hinge bowls the slower bumper from around the wicket, over middle. This is too high and Hetmyer lets it go.

A superb 19th over from Eshan Malinga, but can SRH finish on a high here? Praful Hinge to bowl the final over.

Eshan Malinga to Ravindra Jadeja, FOUR! Malinga misses the yorker and Jadeja makes him pay. Still, just 5 runs off the 19th over. Across off, low full toss, Jadeja swings at it and although he does not quite get hold of it, he hits it to the left of long on for a four.

Eshan Malinga to Ravindra Jadeja, Superb stuff from Malinga. Slips in a yorker, on middle. Jadeja ekes out an inside edge onto the pads and the ball goes nowhere.

Out goes Donovan Ferreira, in comes Ravindra Jadeja.

Eshan Malinga to Donovan Ferreira, OUT! CAUGHT! Donovan Ferreira will be gutted with himself. Malinga goes searching for the yorker but it comes out as a full toss, angled towards the right-hander. Ferreira backs away slightly to launch it down the ground. He fails to get the desired elevation on the lofted hit. Hits it flat and straight down the throat of long on, where Heinrich Klaasen takes the catch around his waist.

Eshan Malinga to Shimron Hetmyer, Another yorker executed by Malinga, on middle. Hetmyer bunts it out to wide long on for just a single.

Eshan Malinga to Shimron Hetmyer, Half a shout for caught behind! Turned down by the umpire and SRH go for the review. In and around the leg stump and the length is pulled back a bit. Hetmyer shimmies down the track and has a swing across the line. He is beaten on the inside edge and the ball brushes the back pad before going through to the keeper. Was there any bat? Nope, the UltraEdge shows a flat line.

Eshan Malinga to Shimron Hetmyer, Starts well, does Malinga. A yorker, right at the toes. Shimron can't do much about it. He digs it out back to Eshan.

Sunrisers Hyderabad use their Impact Sub, bringing in Travis Head for Sakib Hussain. Also, Eshan Malinga (3-0-33-1) to bowl the penultimate over.

Sakib Hussain is substituted by Travis Head

Sakib Hussain to Shimron Hetmyer, Top work! Full and angling away, Hetmyer picks the bones out of it on the drive. Pat Cummins puts in a dive to his left at extra cover and saves a certain boundary. Just a single. 18 runs off the 18th over.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, Nearly sneaked through! Skidding through, on a nagging length, on middle. Ferreira clears the front leg and has a hoick across the line. The ball catches the toe end of the blade and drops beside Donovan on the off side. Hetmyer calls him through for a quick run.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, SIX! Have some of that, says Donovan Ferreira. Sakib Hussain bends his back and digs it in short, at the bodyline of the batter, but the height does not trouble Ferreira at all. He stands tall and pulls it off the front foot over backward square leg for a biggie. 16 runs off the over with a couple of balls to go.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, FOUR! Gets it away! Hussain rolls his fingers over the ball and pulls the length back, on off. Ferreira swings away and rolls his wrists to get on top of the bounce. Hits it to the left of the man at deep square leg for a four.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, Good comeback! A searing yorker, at the toes, Ferreira jams it out back to the bowler.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, SIX! Into the stands! Sakib begins with the off-cutter at 111.8 kph, on middle. This is a bit too full, and Ferreira does not miss out. He puts his head down and dispatches it over long on for a six. The 200 comes up for RR.

Sakib Hussain replaces Praful Hinge.

Pat Cummins to Shimron Hetmyer, Brilliant over from Cummins. A wicket and just 4 runs off it. Just 11 runs off the last 2 overs. Very full, on middle. Hetmyer gets the front pad out of the way and digs it out to mid-wicket.

Pat Cummins to Shimron Hetmyer, Gets the yorker in, on middle. Hetmyer hurriedly drops his bat down and squeezes it out more of an inside edge through backward square leg. He takes the first run hard and comes charging back for the second.

Pat Cummins to Donovan Ferreira, Slanted in, on a length, on middle and leg. Donovan clears the front leg and has a swipe across the line. Gets it off the inner half but clears the man on the edge of the ring at mid-wicket. The fielder in the deep mops it up. Just a single.

Pat Cummins to Donovan Ferreira, The stumps get in the way. Full and straight at 139.9 kph, Ferreira backs away and forces it down the ground. Hits it a bit too straight and the ball hits the stumps at the bowling end before deflecting to mid-wicket.

Pat Cummins to Shimron Hetmyer, Keeps it full, just outside off. Hetmyer drives it with a straight bat to long off for a single to get off the mark.

The next batter in is Shimron Hetmyer.

Pat Cummins to Riyan Parag, OUT! CASTLED! Pat Cummins wins the battle of the two skippers. Excellent execution from Pat. Right at the base of the off stump. There was no real urgency from Parag to get his bat down. The ball sneaks under the vertical blade and crashes into the off pole. Another low score for the RR captain.

Pat Cummins to bowl out now.

Praful Hinge to Donovan Ferreira, A couple of dots to end the over. Not at all a bad over from SRH's perspective. Just 7 off it. Bangs it in short but takes pace off this time, on off. Ferreira arches back and makes a late decision to play the upper-cut. He fails to connect.

Praful Hinge to Donovan Ferreira, This is better from Hinge. Switches to around the wicket and gets the height right on the short ball, over middle. Donovan sways away and drops his wrists.

Praful Hinge to Donovan Ferreira, SIX! That has gone back a long way! A hit-me delivery by Hinge. This is not short enough to trouble the batter, just outside off. Donovan Ferreira stands tall and pummels it way over mid-wicket for half a dozen.

Praful Hinge to Donovan Ferreira, Around off, on a short of a length, tapped to cover.

Praful Hinge to Riyan Parag, CHANCE! Nitish Kumar Reddy nearly pulled off a spectacular grab. On the shorter side, on off, Parag swivels and goes hard on the pull. Gets it more off the inner half of the bat towards mid-wicket, where Reddy flies acrobatically to his left and sticks out the right hand over his head. The ball clips his fingertips and goes away. Single taken.

Praful Hinge to Riyan Parag, Hinge hits the top of off, Parag gets on his toes and rides the bounce to punch it neatly but it goes straight to cover.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Donovan Ferreira, Much fuller and on middle and off, Donovan Ferreira drills it to short cover.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Donovan Ferreira, FOUR! Fine shot! Hard length and just outside off. Donovan Ferreira lets the ball come to him, opens the face of his bat at the last moment and crunches it past backward point for a boundary.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Riyan Parag, Pitched up and on middle, Riyan Parag plays a mini-helicopter down to long on for another run.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Riyan Parag, Good length and on off, Riyan Parag drives it on the up wide of sweeper cover, but the fielder makes a good sliding stop to keep it down to two runs.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Donovan Ferreira, Short of a length and outside off, Donovan Ferreira steers it through point for a run.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Riyan Parag, Back of a length and around off, Riyan Parag punches it through cover-point for a single.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, FOUR! Ferreira is up and running. Pace taken off by Sakib and he serves it full, outside off. Donovan extends his hands and unleashes the drive all along the ground between cover and mid off to get going.

Sakib Hussain to Donovan Ferreira, Wide! Banged in short but down leg, Donovan Ferreira ducks under it.

The Jaipur crowd rises as one to applaud a superlative knock from the youngster. The entire RR dugout is up on its feet. Donovan Ferreira walks in ahead of Shimron Hetmyer.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, OUT! LBW! Sakib Hussain with a comeback of his own. Hundred and out for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but it was an outstanding knock from him. A slower delivery, full and around middle. Vaibhav tries to be cheeky and goes for the reverse scoop, but due to the lack of pace, misses and gets hit on the pads. There is a shout for LBW, and up goes the finger. Looks pretty straight, but he takes the review. UltraEdge confirms no bat involved, and Ball Tracking comes up with three reds, with the ball hitting the off stump.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! HUNDRED FOR SOORYAVANSHI! A knock of the highest order, and he is writing his own history. His second century in the IPL, and he is still in his teens, which makes it even more special. Fuller delivery, on middle and off. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets his front leg out of the way and smacks it over the long on fence for a biggie. He forms a heart with his hands and gives a salute to revel in the moment.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! Up and over! Pitched up and just around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi moves a bit to the leg side to make some room and pumps it over mid off for a boundary.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! He is just making it look easy now! A slower delivery, short of a length and down the leg side, there to be hit. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets down on one knee, waits for it and swipes it over the deep backward square leg fence for a biggie. He moves into the 90s now.

Sakib Hussain to Riyan Parag, Good length and on off, Riyan Parag drops it to the off side for a quick single.

STRATEGIC BREAK! The Rajasthan Royals are set up nicely with plenty of batting still to come. For the Sunrisers Hyderabad, this is a chance to pull things back by getting as many balls as possible at Riyan Parag, who hasn't been in the best of touch this season, and try to sneak in a quiet phase. Pat Cummins has kept the scoring in check, but SRH will need the likes of Sakib Hussain and Eshan Malinga to come back strongly. Hussain to bowl after the break. 2-0-22-0 so far for Sakib.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Riyan Parag, On a length and on middle, Riyan Parag pats it towards mid on for one.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Riyan Parag, Fuller and on off, Riyan Parag pushes it to short cover.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Dhruv Jurel, OUT! CAUGHT! Fifty and out for Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy gets a crucial breakthrough for his side. Hard-length delivery, just around off. Dhruv Jurel looks to heave it across the line but gets undone by the extra pace and bounce and his bat also turns in his hand. The ball goes high in the air towards extra cover, where Aniket Verma moves forward and takes a safe catch. End of the big 112-run stand and Rajasthan Royals are 152/2. RR's captain, Riyan Parag makes his way out to bat.

10 runs off the over so far.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Dhruv Jurel, WIDE! Hard length and angling down the leg, Dhruv Jurel fails to make any contact. Another wide.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! FIFTY FOR JUREL! He brings up his third half-century of the season and he will look to change gears now. Overpitched delivery, on off, Jurel shows the full face of the bat and plays a classy drive, beating to mid off to his right for a boundary. He punches the air, celebrating the milestone.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Dhruv Jurel, WIDE! Short of a length just down the leg side, Dhruv Jurel tries to pull it away but misses. Called a wide.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Dhruv Jurel, Pitched up and on middle, angling in, Dhruv Jurel tucks it to mid-wicket.

Nitish Kumar Reddy to Dhruv Jurel, EDGED AND FOUR! Fuller delivery and around off, holds its line, draws the batter into the drive. Dhruv Jurel gets a thick outside edge and the ball races to the third man fence for a boundary.

SRH use their 6th bowling option of the night. Here is Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Shivang Kumar to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Good comeback! Slower through the air, full and around off, turns away. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi goes for the slog again but loses his body shape and misses.

The two senior pros, Heinrich Klaasen and Pat Cummins, are having a quick word with Shivang Kumar.

Shivang Kumar to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Going, going, gone! Tossed up, full and around middle. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets this one right in his slot. He clears his front leg away and slogs it powerfully over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie. That also brings up the 100-RUN STAND between these two batters.

Shivang Kumar to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! Gets innovative! Shivang Kumar sees the batter switch his stance and drags his length back, on middle. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi waits for it before reverse-pulling it over point for a boundary. He is showing all his skills now.

Shivang Kumar to Dhruv Jurel, Flighted, full and on leg, Dhruv Jurel gets down and paddles it to short fine for a single.

Shivang Kumar to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! Nicely done! A wrong'un, full and around off. Dhruv Jurel gets down on one knee, switches his stance and executes the reverse sweep over short third for a boundary.

Shivang Kumar to Dhruv Jurel, Flatter and shorter, outside off, angles away, Dhruv Jurel misses out on his cut.

Time for spin as Shivang Kumar (1-0-16-0) has been brought back into the attack.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, Bangs this into the pitch, around off, slower as well. Dhruv Jurel punches it through covers for a single.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! Nice shot! Short and wide outside off. Dhruv Jurel uses the width on offer and cuts it away through backward point. The ball races through the turf and Aniket Verma in the deep dives to his right, but only manages to parry it to the fence for a boundary.

New balls, please! That has gone out of the ground. The fourth umpire is out with the box of balls. A conference in the middle between Malinga, Cummins and Klaasen.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, SIX! The sweet sound of the bat! Eshan Malinga bowls a length ball, on middle, angling in a bit. Dhruv Jurel walks across the stumps and using his wrists, he smokes it over the deep square leg fence, out of the park for a 101-METRE biggie.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, Short of a length and outside off, takes pace off, Dhruv Jurel hops up and cuts it through cover-point for a brace.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, Good length and on off, Dhruv Jurel pats it in front of point and calls for the run but is sent back.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, WIDE! Errs in line and serves this full but down the leg side, Dhruv Jurel fails to glance it away.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Low full toss, on leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi crouches low and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Going away, on a back of a length. Sooryavanshi gets on top of the bounce and taps it away towards extra cover. He scampers across for a quick single but a fumble from Eshan Malinga allows the batters to complete the run with ease. 8 runs off the over. Not that bad an over from SRH's perspective, considering the way the game has gone so far.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Tighter line and the length is dragged back, on off. Vaibhav swings for the hills but loses his shape in the process. Bunts it back down towards the bowler.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! Hit hard and wide enough! Praful bowls the off-pace delivery and looks to push it away from the batter. It is not wide enough, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is able to reach it. Slams it hard and wide of the man at long off for his third four.

Praful Hinge to Dhruv Jurel, Angled into the pads, on a nagging length. Jurel nudges it in front of deep square leg. He takes the first run hard and looks for the second but eventually they settle with a single as the fielder was quick to get to the ball.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Hinge takes pace off and bowls it at 113.5 kph, full and on middle. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has a big heave across the line but loses his shape. Gets it off the inner half to deep square leg for a single.

Praful Hinge to Dhruv Jurel, Delivers it around the off stump, on a length. Dhruv punches it to cover. The fielder dives to his right and makes a half-stop. The ball rolls behind and the batters cross for one.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Launched down the ground! Sakib Hussain misses his mark and serves it right in the slot, on off and middle. Sooryavanshi gets under it and brings his bottom hand into play to tonk it straight back over the bowler's head. The 100 comes up for RR.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, TOUGH CHANCE! Sakib Hussain in the wars once again. On a length, on off, Jurel smacks it straight back at the bowler. Sakib gets both hands together to his right, more as an evasive action as he tries to sway away out of the line of the ball. Gets hit hard on the right hand before the ball drops to the ground.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Very full, on middle, Vaibhav wrists it through mid-wicket for a run.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Missed out! A juicy low full toss, outside off. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi extends his hands and firms the drive but can't get it past Pat Cummins at mid off.

Looks like Sakib Hussain has hurt his left thumb while trying to stop the ball. He straightaway points to the physio. The physio applies the magic spray and is also taping up the thumb. Sakib is good to go again.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Well bowled! In the blockhole, just outside the off stump. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi clears the front leg to force it down the ground. He cannot get under it and hits it down the wicket. Sakib Hussain makes a sharp stop by getting low to his left on the follow-through. Seems to have taken a cut on the left hand and calls for the physio straightaway.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, Around the off stump, on a good length, Jurel pushes it down to long on for a single.

Pat Cummins to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Fuller and at the stumps, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi goes deep in the crease and has a big swing across the line. Ekes out an inside edge onto the back leg and it rolls behind the stumps on the leg side. Ishan Kishan gets to the ball and cuts down the possibility of a single. Just 3 runs off the over. First over in this innings that went without a boundary.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Cummins hurls it at 138.4 kph, on a back of a length, around off. Dhruv guides it down to deep third and gets to the other end.

Pat Cummins to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Low full toss, on the pads, flicked to deep backward square leg for a run.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Tight single! This jags back in again, on a short of a length, on off and middle. Jurel is cramped for room on the pull and mishits it beside the strip on the leg side. Aniket Verma at a catching mid-wicket position, moves to his left and releases an underarm throw at the bowling end but misses. Dhruv gets home with a dive.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Goes past the bat! In the channel, on a back of a length, Dhruv looks to run it down to deep third with an open bat face. A bit of nip back into the right-hander along with some extra bounce to beat Jurel on the outside edge.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Honing in on the off stump, on a good length, Dhruv stabs it down the deck watchfully.

Pat Cummins is back on.

Shivang Kumar to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, FOUR! The 50-run stand comes up in real quick time. A bit of air given by Shivang this time but offers width again, on a length. Sooryavanshi frees his arms and swings through the line. Thumps it flat and to the left of long off for a one-bounce boundary. 16 runs off the first over of spin.

Shivang Kumar to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! A poor delivery and it gets the treatment. It does not quite come out of the hand right for Shivang Kumar. A real half-tracker and too wide as well. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lets the ball come to him and spanks it with a flat bat towards the sight screen.

Shivang Kumar to Dhruv Jurel, Shorter and wider on off, Jurel cuts it away to deep point and crosses over.

Shivang Kumar to Dhruv Jurel, Better from Shivang. Sticks to the googly but the length is pulled back and the line is tighter, on the off stump. Dhruv stays back to pat it down the strip.

Shivang Kumar to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! Lovely shot! At 94.7 kph, Kumar floats it up but ends up being a bit too full, outside off. Dhruv reaches out and creams the drive all along the ground past cover for a four.

Shivang Kumar to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Drifting onto the pads, Vaibhav knocks this full ball to long on for a single.

Strategic Break! A vast difference from the last meeting, where the Rajasthan Royals were 9/5 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, but here, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has gone berserk. A 15-ball fifty, and he is just dealing in sixes, already hitting 7. SRH are under pressure here and Aniket Verma dropping Vaibhav did not help their cause. Cummins needs to gather his troops and pull things back in the middle overs, and they will know that RR's middle order has not been that effective this season. Time for some spin now as Shivang Kumar comes into the attack.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, PUT DOWN! A sharp chance goes down. Hussain serves it on a length, on off. Jurel pushes out in front of his body. He fails to keep the drive along the ground and hits it firmly back towards the bowler. Sakib has no time to react and he cannot get both hands together to take the catch. It catches the bowler on the forearm and rolls to mid off. End of an action-packed Powerplay. At the end of 6 overs, the Rajasthan Royals are 76/1.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Hussain takes pace off and goes into the wicket, over middle. Vaibhav shovels it behind square leg for a single.

Sakib Hussain to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets to his FIFTY in style. Ian Bishop informs that Sooryavanshi becomes the youngest batter in T20 history to get to 1,000 runs in the format. Back of a length, going across the batter. Vaibhav stays back and drags the pull over wide long on for a six. Sooryavanshi brings up a 15-ball half-century for the second time this season.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, Hits the top of off, does Hussain. Dhruv hangs back and nudges it to the right of mid-wicket for a single.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, Wide! Banged in short but down the leg side. Dhruv lets it go.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! Put away! Sakib goes searching for the yorker, but it comes out as a full toss, around off. Jurel does not miss out as he punches it down the ground to the left of mid on for a boundary.

Sakib Hussain to Dhruv Jurel, Right on the money! Nice and full, attacking the sticks. Jurel brings his bat out in front and pushes it to cover.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, A dot to end the over. Pace off, low full toss and on off. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smears it off the inner half to mid-wicket.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! No one will catch that! Back of a length but down the leg side. The form Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in, he is not going to miss out on that and he hooks it over the deep fine leg fence for another biggie.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Uppish but safe! Bangs this into the pitch, outside off, takes off again. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets hurried on his cut and slices it. It goes in the air but lands well over the extra cover fielder. Two taken.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Two dots in a row! Hard length and around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pats it towards mid off.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Good bowling! Short of a length and just outside off, takes off sharply at a good pace. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi swings hard but gets beaten by the pace and bounce.

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, DROPPED AND FOUR! Could prove to be very costly for SRH. Back of a length and around leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi heaves it away wide of deep mid-wicket but gets it more from the inner half of the bat. Aniket Verma runs to his right and tries to grab it with both hands, but juggles and spills it. He gets up and dives to stop the boundary, but as he gets up to throw, his right foot touches the ropes. Salt to the wounds as the third umpire confirms it is a boundary.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! Much more in control! Short of a length and outside off. Dhruv Jurel gets the chance to free his arms and crunches it through point for another boundary. 50 UP FOR RR. 25 runs in the first over, 26 in the next three. SRH have pulled things back a bit here.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Goes fuller again, on middle, straightens a bit, Dhruv Jurel gets squared up again but manages to tap it towards short cover.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Back of a length and around off, Dhruv Jurel opens the face of his bat and steers it but fails to beat the fly slip this time. He wants the run but is sent back in time.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, FOUR! Just over! Pitched up and on off, Dhruv Jurel uses his feet and goes hard at it but gets a thick outside edge. It flies just over Sakib Hussain at a fly slip for a boundary.

Pat Cummins to Dhruv Jurel, Touch fuller and around off, skids through a bit, Dhruv Jurel looks to guide it to third man but gets a bit late. It takes the bottom edge and bounces behind the stumps.

Pat Cummins to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Just short! Fuller delivery and around leg, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi whips it aerially, but not with much timing. It flies towards deep square leg, where Praful Hinge runs to his right and then goes to his front, but the ball lands just ahead of him. A single taken.

Pat Cummins to continue. Meanwhile, in Delhi, the Punjab Kings have done the unthinkable, chasing down 265 with 7 balls to spare, powered by Prabhsimran Singh (76 off 26) and Shreyas Iyer (71* off 36). Watching a game like that, you do wonder, what is a safe score these days?

Eshan Malinga to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Slower one, on a length and around off, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi steers it wide of backward point for a run.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, Short of a length and on middle, Dhruv Jurel pulls it away to deep square leg for a single.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, Hard length and on off, Dhruv Jurel keeps it out to the off side.

Eshan Malinga to Dhruv Jurel, BEAUTY! Good-length delivery, in that channel outside off, holds its line. Dhruv Jurel gets squared up, trying to have a poke at it. The ball just goes past the outside edge.

Eshan Malinga continues to impress this season. Dhruv Jurel walks out at number 3 for RR.

Eshan Malinga to Yashasvi Jaiswal, OUT! TAKEN! Eshan Malinga strikes in his first over. He bangs this hard into the deck, on middle, gets some steep bounce. Yashasvi Jaiswal, without moving his feet, goes for the pull shot but is cramped for space. It gets spooned off the lower half of the blade behind mid on, where Heinrich Klaasen backtracks a bit and takes a good catch. RR are 40/1.

Eshan Malinga to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! You cannot bowl there! Back of a length but down the leg side, begging to be put away. Yashasvi Jaiswal just has to get some bat on it and he helps it on its way to the fine leg fence for a boundary.

Praful Hinge has been taken out of the attack after a 25-run first over. Eshan Malinga replaces him.

Pat Cummins to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Sheer power! A well-directed bumper, on off. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi looks to pull but has to drag his shot a bit. He uses his shoulder strength as the ball goes sailing over the deep mid-wicket fence for his fifth biggie already.

Pat Cummins to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Short of a length and around leg, Yashasvi Jaiswal moves back and pulls it away to deep square leg for a single.

Pat Cummins to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Back of a length and on off, Yashasvi Jaiswal pats it down in front of cover.

Pat Cummins to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Uppish but safe! Bangs this into the pitch, on middle and leg. Yashasvi Jaiswal looks to pull it away but gets rushed on the shot. It hits him high on the bat and lobs up towards mid on but lands well ahead of the fielder.

Pat Cummins to Yashasvi Jaiswal, Good length and around off, Yashasvi Jaiswal pushes it away to cover.

Pat Cummins to Yashasvi Jaiswal, FOUR! Welcome to the IPL 2026, Pat Cummins! He begins with a full delivery around off. Yashasvi Jaiswal leans on his drive and creams it through covers for a boundary.

How's that for a start, folks? Strap in, this should be fun. The SRH skipper, Pat Cummins will steam in from the other end.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Make that four on the trot! Another full delivery, on middle and leg, trying to cramp the batter. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi clears the front leg and lofts it with a straight bat over the long on fence for half a dozen more. 25 runs off the first over. This kid is special.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Three in a row and this is the best one of the lot! Hinge keeps the length full and on off. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi backs away a bit to access the off side. He hits it through the line and dispatches it over the long off fence with ease for the third six of the over.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX MORE! Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's show has started. Fuller delivery, angling into the pads. Vaibhav makes the most of it, picking it up and whipping it over the fine leg fence for another biggie.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, SIX! Connects this time and this is a monster hit! Praful Hinge bangs this into the pitch, on middle and leg. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi picks up the length in a trice and hammers it over the deep square leg fence, into the second tier for a biggie.

Praful Hinge to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Swing and a miss! Touch fuller and just around off, angling it away. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stays back and has a big slog across the line but fails to connect.

Praful Hinge to Yashasvi Jaiswal, RR are underway! Praful Hinge starts with a short-of-length delivery, outside off. Yashasvi Jaiswal gets on top of it and cuts it to deep point for a single.

We are all set to get going. A near-packed house already, and it will not be long before every seat is taken. Pat Cummins leads his troops out to the centre. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi announced his arrival here in Jaipur last season with a scintillating hundred. He walks out to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Back into the side tonight, Praful Hinge will take the new ball for SRH. Jaiswal to face the first ball. Here we go!

What’s happening in Delhi? Punjab Kings are flying at 193/3 at the end of 14 overs. They need 72 off the last 6 overs, and given the conditions and the short boundaries, they will be confident of getting the job done from here. If Punjab pull this off, they will break their own record for the highest successful run chase in IPL history, when they chased down 262 against KKR in 2024.

Impact sub options for SRH - Ravichandran Smaran, Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Harsh Dubey and Harshal Patel.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI) - Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (WK), Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (C) (In for Dilshan Madushanka), Shivang Kumar, Sakib Hussain, Eshan Malinga and Praful Hinge (In for Harsh Dubey).

Impact sub options for RR - Ravi Bishnoi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Sandeep Sharma and Shubham Dubey.

Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI) - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande (In for Shubham Dubey), Nandre Burger and Brijesh Sharma.

Important to play well across all 40 overs - The captain of the Rajasthan Royals, Riyan Parag says they would have bowled first as well, but given their record while chasing, they do not mind batting first. He adds that the side has played a lot of cricket here and understands the conditions well. Riyan mentions there could be a bit of dew later on, but does not expect it to play a major role. He stresses the need to be clinical, noting that last year they fell short despite playing good cricket for large phases, and that a couple of overs here and there can make all the difference in the IPL. Parag also highlights the importance of the middle order stepping up, including himself, and confirms that they are going in with a combination of four pacers and one spinner.

Looking forward to seeing how the body holds up - The skipper of the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pat Cummins says that the wicket looks good and they want to know what they are going to chase. Adds that he feels fresh, his body feels good, and although he has not played competitive cricket for a while, he has had a couple of good sessions and wants to see how it goes. Cummins mentions that Kishan has done a fantastic job as a skipper, winning four of the seven games and playing a good, aggressive brand of cricket. Says that the challenge playing away from home is to sense what a good score will be, but this is the first game at this venue this season, so it will be challenging for both sides. Informs that he has replaced Dilshan Madushanka, and Praful Hinge comes in for Harsh Dubey.

TOSS - Time for the coin to go up. Pat Cummins returns to lead SRH for the first time this season. Riyan Parag gives it a flick. 'Heads' is the call from Pat, and he gets it right. Sunrisers Hyderabad opt to BOWL first.

How's Travis Head feeling? Head says they have had some good results and are in an exciting position in the standings. Shares that the side has a good mix of senior players and youngsters, which gives them the flexibility to adapt to different venues and surfaces. Travis highlights the strong squad mentality, with everyone stepping up and playing their part. Mentions that Pat Cummins is looking good after putting in a lot of work over the last couple of days. Shares that for him, it is about contributing in whatever way he can to the team's win. 

Words from the RR camp - Dasun Shanaka says he is feeling good despite not getting a game yet and is enjoying the company of the group. He adds that it is a great competition to be part of, and he is excited to be here in Jaipur. Speaking about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shanaka mentions that he witnessed Vaibhav's hundred here last year when he (Shanaka) was with the Gujarat Titans and calls it one of the best innings in the IPL. He says it is hard to imagine a 15-year-old playing like that. When asked if he is sharing any tips with Sooryavanshi, Dasun smiles and says that he has actually been getting advice from the youngster. Dasun adds that there is a lot to play for tonight and is pleased with how the first part of the tournament has gone, with plenty of learnings along the way. Shanaka remains hopeful of getting a game soon.

PITCH REPORT - Danny Morrison is pitchside. He informs that the centre wicket will be used tonight, which results in the square boundary dimensions being 65 metres on either side and 76 metres straight down the ground. WV Raman shares that this venue has generally been good for batting. Further says that the curator mentioned that the surface has been worked on for about a week and is nicely rolled, so the tradition of it being a good batting wicket is likely to continue. Raman ends by saying that the local inputs suggest there won’t be much dew around, which could tempt captains to bat first.

Batting might, pace fight - It is a similar story for both sides, with a strong dependence on top-order firepower backed by quality pace attacks. Sunrisers Hyderabad have thrived on a dominant top four that consistently sets the tone and drives big totals, while the expected return of Pat Cummins further strengthens their bowling unit. For the Rajasthan Royals, the balance is much the same. Their top order lays the platform, but it is their pace attack that provides the real edge.

Turning our attention to Jaipur - The Pink City finally gets its first taste of IPL 2026 as the Rajasthan Royals return home to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, a venue that has long been a fortress for them, but this homecoming comes with a serious test. Standing in their way are the in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad, a side that has dominated this matchup in recent times. SRH lead the overall head-to-head 13-9 and have won each of the last five encounters between the two teams, including a comprehensive 57-run victory earlier this season.

Saturday madness - Hello, one and all! It is the last double-header Saturday of the season, and the day is off to a crazy start. In Delhi, riding on an unbeaten 152 from KL Rahul and a blistering 91 from Nitish Rana, the Capitals posted 264, the highest total of the season so far. In reply, the Punjab Kings have raced to 116 in the first six overs, yes, you read that right. We also take a moment to pray for the well-being of South African quick Lungi Ngidi, who, in an attempt to take a catch, suffered an unfortunate head injury. He had to be stretchered off the field in an ambulance, and that is the last thing you want to see on a cricket field.

... MATCH DAY ...

Khamma Ghani, Jaipur - The 2026 Indian Premier League pays its first visit to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium this season as the Rajasthan Royals host the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Royals played their first three home games in Guwahati and turned it into a fortress, winning all their fixtures there. They will now hope to do the same in Jaipur with four more home games to come. As for the Sunrisers, they travel up north from Hyderabad to the Pink City in the pink of form, riding on a hat-trick of wins. Back on track after a wobble - The Royals started strong with four wins in a row before losing two on the trot, but arrested that slide with a hard-fought win over Lucknow Super Giants. A below-190 score in a full 20-over game had not been defended successfully this season until the Royals did it, and that should give them plenty of confidence going forward. Pace power for the Royals - Out of the 52 wickets picked up so far, 32 have come from the seamers, with Nandre Burger and Jofra Archer alone accounting for 19 of those. They have also set the tone early really well. In their 7 games so far, there has been just one instance where the Royals have gone wicketless in the Powerplay, and on 5 occasions they have picked up 3 or more wickets in that phase. Runs up top, gaps in the middle - The trio of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel has been the backbone of the RR batting, contributing a major share of the runs so far. In Lucknow, it was the second time in three games that the top three fell inside the Powerplay. Contributions from Donovan Ferreira and Ravindra Jadeja helped them get to a fighting total, which is encouraging. There are still concerns around skipper Riyan Parag (81 runs in 7 innings) and Shimron Hetmyer (61 runs in 5 innings), and RR will be hoping those two can find form soon. From slow start to strong run - Just one win in the first four games, but since then, it has been an excellent turnaround for the Sunrisers with three wins on the bounce at home. They now hit the road, hoping to carry that momentum forward. Bowlers lead the revival - A big part of that shift has come with the ball. In the absence of Pat Cummins, you might have expected senior names like Jaydev Unadkat or Harshal Patel to lead the charge, but it has been the younger bowlers who have stepped up. Eshan Malinga has been the standout, and Sakib Hussain has made a strong impression in his debut season. Dilshan Madushanka also impressed in the last game, and with Pat Cummins expected to play against the Royals, things are looking good on the bowling front. The numbers tell the story - In the first four games, where they lost three, they picked up 20 wickets at a strike rate of 21.1 and an average of 36.65. In the three wins since, they have taken 27 wickets at an average of 19.81 and a strike rate of 13.1. One firing, one searching - 82, 75 and 97, those are the opening stands in three of their four wins, which tells you how important the starts from Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma have been. Out of the 393 runs from the opening pair, 323 have come from Abhishek, while Head has struggled for fluency in the last few games. If we look at just the last three matches, his strike rate has been 121.87, which is uncharacteristic of him, and he will be keen to find his rhythm soon. One constant, though, has been Heinrich Klaasen, who has put together 7 consecutive 30-plus scores this season, converting 3 of those into fifties. Team form (Last 5 completed games, recent first) - RR - WLLWW | SRH - WWWLL. A run-fest loading? The average first-innings score in the 5 night games here last season in Jaipur was 199, and the overall run rate at this ground was 9.99, the third highest among venues that hosted at least 5 games, so we could be in for a high-scoring contest. One-sided rivalry - It has been a bit of a lopsided rivalry in recent times, with the Sunrisers winning the last five meetings between these two sides. The Royals didn't have a great time in Jaipur last year either, managing just 1 win in 5 games here in 2025, but that is in the past, and they will be looking at this as a fresh start.