The stakes could not be higher as Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals prepare to lock horns in the Eliminator of IPL 2026 in Mullanpur on Wednesday. With a place in Qualifier 2 on the line and elimination awaiting the loser, there is absolutely no room left for error. Yet, while the team dynamics promise high drama, the real headline-grabber is the prospect of pure, unadulterated batting ‘carnage’ at the top of the order. This knockout clash sets the stage for a mouth-watering, boundary-heavy showdown between two of the tournament’s most destructive left-handed openers — Rajasthan’s young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Hyderabad’s aggressive talisman Abhishek Sharma.

There isn’t a lot separating Sooryavanshi and Abhishek in the Orange Cap standings. While Sooryavanshi is placed 6th, with 583 runs to his name, Abhishek is 8th with 563. If the previous encounters this season are anything to go by, the opening overs of this Eliminator will be an absolute carnival of boundaries. 

During their first meeting in Hyderabad, SRH’s batting unit put on a brutal display, but it was their second clash in Jaipur that truly set the tone for this individual rivalry. On that day, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced one of the most violent spectacles in IPL history, hammering a stunning 36-ball century. He exacted ruthless revenge on SRH’s debutant pacer Praful Hinge by smashing him for four sixes in the very opening over of the match.

However, Abhishek Sharma refused to be outshone. Leading a commanding chase of 228, Sharma tore into the Royals’ bowling attack with equal ferocity, proving that he can match Sooryavanshi blow for blow. On Wednesday night, with the Mullanpur pitch offering a license to thrill, these two dynamic openers are expected to go all-out from ball one.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Have Form On Their Side

Sunrisers Hyderabad head into this knockout clash as favourites, holding momentum and confidence after defeating Rajasthan Royals twice during the league phase. Pat Cummins‘ side finished third on the points table with 18 points from 14 matches — level with the top two sides, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans — but slipped to the Eliminator owing to an inferior net run rate.

SRH’s campaign has been a masterclass in resilience. The franchise had to navigate the opening half of the tournament without regular captain Pat Cummins, prompting the management to hand leadership responsibilities to Ishan Kishan. After losing three of their first four matches, Hyderabad revived their season with five consecutive victories to stabilise their playoff push. Cummins’ return further strengthened the side, with SRH winning two of their final three league games.

While their young bowling attack, featuring Sakib Hussain and Eshan Malinga alongside Cummins — has stepped up admirably, Hyderabad’s true backbone remains their terrifying batting unit. With Sharma providing the initial fireworks, Ishan Kishan (who smashed a brutal 91 off 44 balls in the first RR game) and Heinrich Klaasen provide lethal firepower in the middle order, alongside the rapidly evolving Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Rajasthan Royals: Third Time Lucky?

For Rajasthan Royals, the Eliminator represents the ultimate chance to rewrite the narrative against Hyderabad after two difficult defeats. They sealed the final playoff berth with a crucial victory over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, finishing fourth with 16 points after winning eight league matches.

To overcome a Hyderabad side that has consistently troubled them, Rajasthan will need to fully unleash their explosive batting lineup. If Sooryavanshi can replicate his Jaipur heroics and survive the early threat of Praful Hinge, RR possess the firepower to completely disrupt the SRH bowling plans.

Knockout cricket famously ignores league-stage history. While Hyderabad hold the psychological edge, Rajasthan know that if Sooryavanshi wins the opening powerplay battle against Sharma’s counterpart, the road to the IPL 2026 final remains wide open.

For one team, the journey continues. For the other, Wednesday night will mark a violent end of the road.

With IANS Inputs

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West Ham star Jarrod Bowen could be on the move after the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday

West Ham star Jarrod Bowen previously revealed he was a Manchester United fan growing up as rumours suggest he may make a move this summer. Despite the Hammers beating Leeds United 3-0 on Sunday, they were relegated after Tottenham beat Everton 1-0.

The drop to the Championship is widely predicted to inflict a £100million dent in West Ham’s revenue stream and something of a fire sale could be in the works, with Bowen possibly leading a potential exodus.

While the forward’s deal at the London Stadium does not expire until 2030, the Guardian claimed United were pondering a move for the ex-Hull City star. In a boost to this reported interest, Bowen disclosed in June 2022 that he was a fan of United and primarily club legend David Beckham.

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On Sky Sports, Bowen was shown a photo of himself as a youngster, with his face painted with the St George’s flag. He was sporting Beckham’s famous No. 7 England shirt.

He said: “I followed Manchester United a bit growing up, as well, but I think I more followed him because I thought he was cool. Him growing up, me supporting Manchester United, trying to copy him with that picture and, as soon as I got sent it, I knew it was going out.”

The 29-year-old has scored 85 goals since joining West Ham in 2020 and would no doubt be an appealing option for Michael Carrick. Whilst the player could make a swift exit from the Irons, his post-match comments following his side’s relegation suggest he could stay for the duration of the club’s spell in the Championship.

He said: “I’m under contract here. I’ve been here six and a half years. I’ve had some really high moments and this is a low moment that will outweigh everything.

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“There’s going to be rumours, there’s going to be talk. Ultimately, what I see is getting this club back in the Premier League because that is where it deserves to be.”

He later reinforced the message by taking to Instagram, although he did stop short of committing his future to West Ham. He wrote: “It’s hard to post something like this when all you’re feeling is embarrassment and pain.

“I could write loads trying to explain where it all went wrong this season, but honestly what you deserve from me is an apology. Winning that trophy [Europa Conference League, 2023] in Prague was the best night of my career. Sunday was the worst.

“We just weren’t good enough. Simple as that. And that’s why the season ended the way it did. To the fans, you didn’t let us down once.

“The support home and away never changed, even when things weren’t good enough from us on the pitch. We should have given you more. You deserved more.

“One thing I know about this club is that it has the desire and fight to bounce back from this. This club belongs in the Premier League and deserves to be back there as soon as possible.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner shared his thoughts after clinching the Stanley Cup Final berth for the first time in his career.

That became certain after the Golden Knights completed a shocking 4-0 series sweep over the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche, capping a 2-1 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday.

Marner, who joined the Golden Knights last summer, is having his best career playoffs with Vegas. However, reaching this level was not easy for Marner, as he had some dark moments in Toronto, where he was heavily scrutinized for his lack of postseason production. The criticism has now largely vanished.

After the game, Marner credited his family for always standing by him during the tough times he had in Toronto:

“It was a special moment. There’s been some dark times in hockey for myself honestly… I’m thankful for my family. That was a moment to just express some joy and fun,” Marner said.

When asked about who he wanted to share this victory with, Mitch Marner credited his parents and his wife:

“Obviously my parents. There have been some dark moments in my hockey career, really — some tough moments that my parents have been beside me for. My wife’s been beside me too. It’s never a one man battle, all my teammates that I have had, it’s been a great road and hopefully this road keeps going”. he added.

Mitch Marner on pace to win Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP

Despite not winning anything major in Toronto, Mitch Marner could end up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, along with the Stanley Cup, with the Golden Knights. He leads the postseason with 21 points (seven goals and 14 assists).

For the Golden Knights, it will be their third Stanley Cup Final appearance in their brief history. They have won the Cup in 2023. They’ll be up against the winner of the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.

After going down 1-0 in the series, the Hurricanes have bounced back with back-to-back overtime wins in Games 2 and 3. Game 4 takes place on Wednesday.

Also Read: Avs fans dejected as Avalanche shockingly get swept by Golden Knights to end dominant season