Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – IPL 2026 Match Report | Statz

25th April 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets (with 9 balls remaining) in the 36th match of 74 in the Indian Premier League 2026 Regular Season at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. SRH won the toss, chose to bowl, and chased down 229 with an over to spare – their fifth win from eight matches, moving them to third in the standings on NRR. The result means both sides sit level on 10 points but SRH now hold the superior run rate in what is shaping up to be a fierce mid-table battle for play-off spots.

First Innings – Rajasthan Royals bat: 228/6 (20 overs)

Yashasvi Jaiswal went early – caught for 10 off 8 at 40/1 in over 2.2. But his dismissal barely registered as Vaibhav Suryavanshi took the Sawai Mansingh crowd apart. Playing with stunning aggression, he registered a century off just 37 deliveries – 103 runs, 5 fours, 12 sixes, strike rate 278. He was dismissed LBW off Eshan Malinga at 170/2 in over 13.5, but by then the damage was done.

Dhruv Jurel had played the ideal supporting role, making 51 off 35 before being caught at 152/3 in over 12.4. After Suryavanshi fell, Riyan Parag struggled for 7 off 9 before being clean bowled at 191/4 in over 16.1. Donovan Ferreira then blasted 33 off 16 (SR 206, 3 sixes) at 214/5 in over 18.4 to push Rajasthan to 228. Jofra Archer was the standout bowler for the chase ahead, taking 2/34 from 4 overs at economy 8.5. Eshan Malinga took 2/38, Pat Cummins chipped in with 1/27.

Second Innings – Sunrisers Hyderabad chase: 229/5 (18.3 overs)

Travis Head was caught for 6 off 5 at 7/1 in over 0.5 – an early stumble. But Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma turned the chase into a statement. Abhishek made 57 off 29 (SR 197, 11 fours) before being caught at 139/2 in over 9.6. Kishan was even more destructive – 74 off 31 balls at 239 SR, 11 fours and 3 sixes – before being caught at 166/3 in over 12.1.

The chase needed Heinrich Klaasen to hold things together – he made 29 off 24 before falling at 220/4 in over 17.6 – and Nitish Kumar Reddy to close it out. Reddy was decisive: 36 off 18 (SR 200, 3 sixes) before being LBW at 219/5. Salil Arora (8* off 3) and Aniket Verma (1*) finished the job. Jofra Archer led RR’s bowling with 2/34 from 4 overs; Brijesh Sharma took 2/44.

Statz MVP – Vaibhav Suryavanshi (151.1/100)

Vaibhav Suryavanshi is the Statz MVP with a rating of 151.1/100 – the highest score in this match by a considerable margin. Statz calculates impact based on match context, and a 103 off 37 at a strike rate of 278 in the first innings set the tone for everything that followed. The official Man of the Match was Ishan Kishan – and Statz disagrees. Kishan’s 74 off 31 was outstanding, but Suryavanshi’s century came in the context of setting a total; Kishan chased an already-established target. The algorithm rates the impact of that first innings pyrotechnics higher. Two legitimate views, but the numbers back Suryavanshi.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

  1. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) – 103 off 37, 5×4 12×6, SR 278. MI Rating 151.1/100. Dream11: 221 pts. Jaw-dropping century.
  2. Ishan Kishan (SRH) – 74 off 31 (SR 239), 11 fours 3 sixes. Official MoM. Dream11: 154 pts.
  3. Abhishek Sharma (SRH) – 57 off 29 (SR 197, 11 fours). Set up the chase alongside Kishan. Dream11: 125 pts.
  4. Donovan Ferreira (RR) – 33 off 16 with bat (SR 206), 1 wicket with ball. Dream11: 110 pts.
  5. Nitish Kumar Reddy (SRH) – 36 off 18 with bat (SR 200), 1 wicket from 2 overs with ball. Dream11: 107 pts.

Turning Point

Suryavanshi dismissed LBW by Eshan Malinga at 170/2, over 13.5. At that moment Rajasthan, with Suryavanshi on 103 off 37, were on track for 250+. His dismissal ended the acceleration and RR could only reach 228. That target, while steep, was not the 250 it could have been – and SRH’s top order had enough firepower to get there.

Match Context

IPL 2026 Regular Season, 36th match of 74. Sunrisers Hyderabad move to 3rd – 10 points from 8 (W5 L3), NRR +0.815. Rajasthan Royals slip to 4th on the same 10 points from 8 (W5 L3) but inferior NRR of +0.602. Delhi Capitals lead the table on 13 points from 7. With 74 matches in the season and plenty still to play, this remains wide open – but SRH’s NRR advantage over RR now matters in what looks like a closely contested top-four race.

Full scorecard: statz.ai scorecard