Kathmandu: The knockout stage of the Indian Premier League begins on Wednesday with a high-pressure Eliminator clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals at the New International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh at 7:45 PM NST.
With a place in Qualifier 2 on the line, both sides enter the contest carrying contrasting momentum, lingering doubts and a rich subplot tied to IPL history.
Rajasthan Royals looked destined for a late-season collapse just over a week ago. Following their third straight defeat, RR vice captain Riyan Parag did not mince words, admitting that the side did not deserve a top-four finish if their struggles continued.
At that stage, the Royals sat sixth on the table and appeared in danger of slipping out of playoff contention entirely.
However, RR managed to steady themselves with two timely victories against the bottom two teams of the season to squeeze into the playoffs. Even so, questions remain over whether they are the most vulnerable side among the top four teams.
History also weighs heavily against them. In the 15 years since the IPL playoff format introduced the Eliminator, only one team has gone on to win the title after playing the extra knockout match.
Ironically, that team was Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016
SRH will now hope that “2026 is the new 2016” becomes more than just a slogan among fans. Despite narrowly missing out on a top-two finish, Hyderabad have looked like one of the most dangerous batting sides in the tournament.
Their campaign, though, has been marked by extremes. Apart from a thrilling penultimate-ball defeat against Lucknow Super Giants, all four of their losses have been one-sided affairs.
Their biggest setback came in the form of an embarrassing 86 all out against Gujarat Titans a result that ultimately hurt their net run rate enough to deny them a top-two spot.
Yet SRH will take confidence from their remarkable dominance over Rajasthan in recent years. Sunrisers Hyderabad have won six of the eight matches played against the Royals overall, including a six-match winning streak dating back to 2022.
Rajasthan, meanwhile, have managed only two victories in the rivalry, underlining SRH’s consistent upper hand across conditions and seasons.
With explosive batting line-ups on both sides and the pressure of knockout cricket intensifying every moment, Thursday’s clash in Mullanpur promises to be a compelling battle between a resurgent Rajasthan side and a Hyderabad team chasing echoes of its 2016 fairytale triumph.
