‘SRH have more match winners than RR’: Former India captain’s harsh Eliminator verdict

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins and Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag (AP Photo) Former India captain Anil Kumble believes that Sunrisers Hyderabad are heading into the IPL 2026 Eliminator with a stronger and more balanced squad than Rajasthan Royals, insisting that Hyderabad have far more match-winners across both the batting and bowling departments. The high-pressure knockout match will be played at the PCA New International Stadium, with the losing side being eliminated from the tournament. Sharing his thoughts ahead of the game on Jio Hotstar, Kumble explained that Rajasthan seem too reliant on a small core of players, while SRH have several options that can change the game. “If you compare the two teams man-to-man, SRH have more match-winners. Rajasthan, on the other hand, rely heavily on a few individuals – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Jofra Archer,” Kumble told Jio Hotstar. Kumble warned that Rajasthan’s chances in the Eliminator may depend entirely on these key names stepping up under pressure. “If these three don’t fire, their batting and bowling look thin. That could be the difference in a knock-out game,” he added. The former India coach also reflected on SRH’s earlier league stage victory over Rajasthan, describing it as one of the defining moments of Hyderabad’s campaign this season. Kumble highlighted the impact of young fast bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, who made their IPL debuts during this clash and immediately transformed SRH’s bowling attack. “The game that Sunrisers Hyderabad remembers deeply is the one against Rajasthan Royals from the league stage where Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain made their IPL debuts. That was the turning point for Sunrisers Hyderabad this season,” Kumble noted. “Before this match, they had a different playing combination. After bringing in these young bowlers, they found a winning formula. Hinge and Hussain cracked the top order of RR in this game,” he added. Kumble further hinted that Hyderabad may once again back Hinge for the crucial Eliminator encounter and suggested that the youngster could replace Harshal Patel in the playing XI. “So I expect SRH might go again with Hinge instead of Harshal Patel for the eliminator. Hinge also dismissed Vaibhav Suryavanshi in his first game which gives him a psychological advantage going into the eliminator,” he said. With a place in Qualifier 2, both teams are now gearing up for a knock-out battle that could define their IPL 2026 campaign.