The IPL 2026 campaign of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) came to a disappointing end after a crushing defeat against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator at the New Chandigarh Stadium. Despite entering the playoffs with one of the most explosive batting line-ups of the season, SRH failed to handle the pressure of the knockout encounter and eventually fell short by 47 runs while chasing a mammoth target of 244.
The defeat once again triggered discussions around SRH’s ultra-aggressive batting style and whether the team lacked composure during high-pressure matches. While several SRH batters endured disappointing outings in the Eliminator, opener Abhishek Sharma became one of the major talking points after another failure in a crucial playoff game.
Kris Srikkanth criticizes Abhishek Sharma after SRH’s Eliminator defeat
Former India captain Kris Srikkanth did not hold back while assessing SRH’s batting collapse after the Eliminator. Srikkanth questioned Abhishek’s repeated struggles in important playoff matches and pointed out similarities with SRH’s disappointing finish in IPL 2024.
“Abhishek Sharma has always failed in the playoffs. He has been a huge failure in the playoffs. That’s been SRH’s problem since 2024. Archer finished SRH in the powerplay despite Ishan Kishan’s blinder,” speaking on his YouTube channel,
Abhishek, who enjoyed another outstanding season with the bat and scored 563 runs in IPL 2026, was dismissed for a duck against Rajasthan Royals after attempting an aggressive stroke early in the innings. Jofra Archer bounced him out in the opening over, putting immediate pressure on SRH during the massive chase.
Srikkanth highlighted that despite Abhishek’s brilliance throughout the league stage over the past few seasons, his performances in knockout matches continue to remain a concern for Hyderabad. The former India opener remarked that Abhishek had failed to make an impact during the playoffs in consecutive seasons, especially after registering low scores in Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2, and the IPL 2024 final.
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SRH’s reckless batting approach draws criticism
The former India skipper also criticized the overall batting approach adopted by Sunrisers Hyderabad during the chase. According to Srikkanth, SRH’s batters appeared too desperate to attack every delivery instead of building partnerships despite the daunting target. After Abhishek’s early dismissal, Ishan Kishan and Travis Head briefly counterattacked and added quick runs, but Archer once again shifted momentum by removing both batters inside the powerplay. Heinrich Klaasen too failed to capitalize after getting a start, while Nitish Kumar Reddy’s fighting 38 eventually proved insufficient.
Earlier in the match, Rajasthan Royals had posted a daunting 243/8 largely due to a sensational innings from 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The youngster smashed 97 off just 29 deliveries and completely dismantled the SRH bowling attack during the powerplay overs. Dhruv Jurel later added a rapid half-century to push RR close to the 250-run mark.
Although SRH attempted to fight back through a few aggressive cameos, RR’s bowling attack, led by Archer and Nandre Burger kept taking wickets at regular intervals to shut the door on Hyderabad’s hopes. With the defeat, SRH’s wait for another IPL title continues, while Rajasthan Royals advanced to Qualifier 2 where they will face Gujarat Titans (GT) for a place in the IPL 2026 final.