‘We don’t want what happened to PBKS’: Jofra Archer holds RR down after Eliminator win

Rajasthan Royals’ Jofra Archer (AP Photo) Jofra Archer produced a match-winning spell in the powerplay as Rajasthan Royals eliminated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator of IPL 2026. Archer struck early and often, removing Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan in his first three overs. These breakthroughs completely broke the backbone of SRH’s 244 run chase in a high-pressure knockout clash. Reflecting on his performance, Archer was pleased with the collective bowling effort rather than just his figures. “Other than the numbers I thought I bowled pretty well. I think all the guys bowled OK. We stuck to our plans, we stuck to our lengths and we were rewarded tonight,” he said. His early strike against Abhishek Sharma on the second ball of the innings set the tone for the Royals at the crucial stage of the power play. “Usually the team that gets the most goals in the power play wins the game. So it’s a lot of pressure, but I take it on and do my best for the team,” added Archer. With the win, Rajasthan Royals are now just two wins away from winning their second IPL title. They will face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are already waiting in the final. Archer emphasized 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’re on top, well, I don’t want to say we’re on top, 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 track. Everyone’s chipping in every game and that’s the important part,” he said. RR’s total was buoyed by a stunning counter-attack from 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 97 off just 29 balls, including 12 sixes and five fours, to help them put 244 on the board. Archer was full of praise for the teenager’s explosive knock. “It was very exciting. The more runs (Sooryavanshi) scores, the more runs we have to defend. So he can go on and get 150, so it’s good for the boys if he gets a lot of runs,” he said. Rajasthan Royals will now face Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday at the Maharaja Yadavindra International Stadium in New Chandigarh.