Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) produced a commanding performance to hand table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) their first defeat in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. In a high-scoring encounter at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday (April 13), SRH posted an impressive 216/6 before thrashing RR for 159 by 91. 57 runs victory. Debutant pacers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain played with the ball and shared eight wickets between them in a dream night for the hosts.
Ishan Kishan powers SRH to a strong total
Rajasthan Royals won the toss and decided to bowl first, hoping to capitalize on any early movement. However, SRH’s batting line-up showed resilience despite the early jolt. Jofra Archer stepped in immediately and dismissed Abhishek Sharma for a golden duck on the first ball of the innings.
Travis Head 18(18) and captain Ishan Kishan then steadied the ship. Kishan in particular turned the game around with an explosive knock of 91 off just 44 balls, laced with powerful strokes. Heinrich Klaasen provided key support with a quick 40 off 26 deliveries while Nitish Kumar Reddy 28 (13) added usefully. SRH accelerated in the death overs to reach 216/6, setting a challenging target of 217.
The RR bowlers, led by Archer who picked up two wickets, fought hard but could not sustain the home middle order fire on a batting pitch.
Debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain dissect the RR batting
Rajasthan Royals started their chase aggressively but suffered a massive collapse. Young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was in red-hot form with the Orange Cap, fell to debutant Praful Hinge first ball. Rajasthan’s top order crumbled quickly, slumping to 40/5 in the over.
Praful Hinge (Player of the Match) was a standout player taking four wickets including a sensational triple on his IPL debut which broke the back of RR’s innings. Fellow debutant Sakib Hussain complemented him perfectly with four wickets for 24 runs, taking advantage of the conditions and changing pace smartly.
Donovan Ferreira 69 (44) and Ravindra Jadeja 45 (32) tried to fight back with a useful partnership but it was too little too late. Lower-order resistance from Tushar Deshpande, who smashed 25 off 11 balls with three sixes, added some fun before Eshan Malinga wrapped up the innings. RR were bowled out for 159 and fell short of the target.
IPL 2026 Points Table Impact
The win gave SRH their second win of the season, improving their position to fourth in the table with four points from five matches and an NRR of +0.576.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals, who entered the match undefeated with four straight wins, suffered their first loss but remained at the top of the table with 8 points from five matches and an NRR of +0.889.
