Jofra Archer produced a match-winning spell inside the powerplay as Rajasthan Royals knocked Sunrisers Hyderabad out in the Eliminator of IPL 2026. Archer struck early and often, removing Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan in his first three overs. Those breakthroughs completely broke the backbone of SRH’s 244-run chase in a high-pressure knockout clash. Reflecting on his performance, Archer was satisfied with the collective bowling effort rather than just his figures. “Apart from the figures, I thought I bowled pretty alright. I think all of the guys bowled alright. We stuck to our plans, we stuck to our lengths, and we were rewarded tonight,” he said. His early strike against Abhishek Sharma, coming on the second ball of the innings, set the tone for the Royals in a crucial powerplay phase. “Usually, the team that gets the most wickets in the powerplay usually wins the game. So it’s a lot of pressure, but I take it on, and I do my best for the team,” Archer added. With the win, Rajasthan Royals are now just two victories away from lifting a second IPL title. They will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru already waiting in the final. Archer stressed the importance of staying focused and avoiding a late-season collapse, pointing to past examples of teams losing momentum after a strong start. “Every game at a time. I think we are at our peak, well, I don’t want to say peaking, and we’re going in the right direction at the right time. We don’t want what happened to Kings XI [PBKS] to happen to us. So I think we’re on the right path. Everyone chipping in every game, and that’s the important part,” he said. RR’s total was powered by a stunning counterattack from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 97 off just 29 balls, including 12 sixes and five fours, helping them post 244 on the board. Archer was full of praise for the teenager’s explosive knock. “It was very exciting. The more runs he (Sooryavanshi) scores, the more runs we have to defend. So he can go on and get 150, so it’s good for the boys when he gets a lot of runs,” he said. Rajasthan Royals will now meet Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday at the Maharaja Yadavindra International Stadium in New Chandigarh.
