Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) won the toss and elected to bowl first against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator at the PCA New International Stadium. RR captain Riyan Parag disclosed a major fitness concern during the toss, stating he is not fully fit for the high-pressure knockout clash but insisted his team has no alternative but to go all out for victory.
Parag's Fitness Concerns and Team Changes
“We also would have bowled first as it's a good chasing ground. This has been a good ground, as we have chased and defended. I am unfit to play. Even now we have no other options than to win. I am happy with the team performance if we play to our potential. Jaddu comes back in the XI, Dubey is the impact player,” Parag said at the toss.
SRH's Approach
SRH captain Pat Cummins stated that Hyderabad was not overly concerned about pressure despite entering the contest after already defeating Rajasthan twice earlier this season. “We will bowl first. I think we have played some good cricket of late. We will try to keep our bowling simple and let them play to their strengths. Hinge comes back in. I think we are not bothered about the pressure; it's a good chasing ground,” Cummins remarked.
High Stakes and Mirroring Journeys
The clash carries immense stakes, with the winner advancing further in the playoffs and the losing side eliminated from IPL 2026. Both teams have experienced similar trajectories this season. Rajasthan Royals started with four consecutive wins before their campaign lost momentum after a crushing defeat to SRH earlier in the league stage. Ironically, that same game helped transform Hyderabad’s season after they had lost three of their opening four matches.
Playing XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan (w), Heinrich Klaasen, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (w), Riyan Parag (c), Donovan Ferreira, Dasun Shanaka, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja
With SRH holding a 2-0 record over Rajasthan this season, the Royals face their toughest challenge yet in a do-or-die knockout encounter. Stay updated with IPL Live Score and the latest IPL news on Times of India. Follow the IPL schedule and track the race for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
