Jofra Archer castles Travis Head in the Eliminator of IPL 2026 – IPL 2026 Eliminator: Jofra Archer Castles Travis Head as Rajasthan Royals Take Control
IPL 2026 Eliminator: Jofra Archer Castles Travis Head as Rajasthan Royals Take Control
The Sunrisers Hyderabad are on the verge of being knocked out of the IPL 2026 after a disastrous start to their innings in the Eliminator clash against the Rajasthan Royals. Jofra Archer picked up his third wicket of the night, dismissing Travis Head to leave the Sunrisers reeling.
Rajasthan Royals Set the Tone
The Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad match seemed to be a repeat of the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 fixture between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Gujarat Titans. Pat Cummins decided to field first on a batting-friendly track, and the decision has proven to be costly for the Sunrisers.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set the tone for the Rajasthan Royals’ innings with a blistering knock of 97 runs off just 29 balls. Although he missed out on a record-smashing hundred, which could have been the quickest hundred in the history of the IPL, his innings gave the Rajasthan Royals a solid foundation.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Struggle to Chase
The Sunrisers Hyderabad were given a massive 244-run target to chase in the Eliminator. Despite their ability to score runs throughout the season, they have struggled to do so in this crucial knockout game.
Travis Head, the aggressive SRH opener, opened the innings and was looking to build a firm foundation. He scored a quick 17 off just 8 balls before being cleaned up by Jofra Archer. The RR speedster’s high-pace delivery uprooted Head’s off-stump, marking Archer’s third wicket of the match.
This wicket has taken Archer’s tally to 24 wickets in this edition of the competition, his best wicket-taking season with the ball. The Rajasthan Royals are now in a commanding position, and it remains to be seen if the Sunrisers Hyderabad can stage a comeback.
