SRH vs RR Prediction & Match Preview – IPL 2026 Eliminator

A place in the second qualifier is at stake when Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals meet in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on Wednesday 27 May, with a 7:30 pm local start in Mullanpur. The losing side leaves the tournament.

Hyderabad’s squad features a heavy-hitting batting group including Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, with Pat Cummins as captain and Eshan Malinga and Sakib Hussain among the bowlers. Rajasthan, whose squad includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ravindra Jadeja, have Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma and Nandre Burger in their pace attack.

Powerplay batting could shape the match. Mullanpur offers early bounce and movement for pacers, but the ball comes onto the bat well after the first six overs, and teams crossing 200 can gain a major advantage in a knockout. Spin and variations at the death are likely to be decisive. With aggressive openers and in-form middle-order hitters, Hyderabad are slight favourites.

Pitch report

Mullanpur usually gives a balanced surface. The hard pitch has good pace and bounce, so batters can play their shots once settled. Fast bowlers can find early movement and carry with the new ball, while the surface becomes better for batting as the game goes on and spinners may get slight grip in the middle overs. Scores of 165–180 are competitive, and anything above 180 puts the opposition under pressure.

Weather

Hot but suitable for a full game at 7:30 pm local time, with temperatures around 33–36°C, clear skies and a minimal chance of rain. Humidity should stay low, a light breeze may help, and slight dew late in the game could assist the chasing side.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 185–205
• 2nd innings: 175–195

About Indian Premier League