Pat Cummins To Trouble Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? SRH Stongest XI Vs RR For IPL 2026 Eliminator

SRH strongest XI Vs RR [Source: AP, AFP]

The stage is set for a riveting IPL 2026 Eliminator as the Sunrisers Hyderabad will collide against the Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur. The two sides finished third and fourth, respectively; the loser will be eliminated from the competition, while the winner will advance to Qualifier 2.

It has been a topsy-turvy IPL 2026 for the Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers. The team lost a couple of early games but found their rhythm, ending with 9 wins out of 14 and finishing third. The Orange Army certainly has the best batting lineup of all four sides in the playoffs, but the team also has a couple of chinks in its armour.

Ahead of the crucial Eliminator vs the Rajasthan Royals, SRH might be tempted to make a couple of changes, and here is how the team could lineup for the riveting clash.

SRH playing XI Vs RR, IPL 2026, Eliminator

Openers and top order: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan

Perhaps the best batting lineup in the entire IPL, SRH’s fate against RR will depend a lot on the two openers, Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head. Time and again, the duo has given fiery starts to the team, and expect something on the similar lines on a flat Mullanpur wicket.

Both southpaws have scored truckloads of runs in the IPL 2026, and they have the capability to score at a rapid rate. If one of them gets dismissed, the number 3 slot is occupied by the dangerous Ishan Kishan. Arguably, SRH’s most consistent batter alongside Heinrich Klaasen, Kishan has been the MVP of the team, and RR needs to dismiss him early.

Middle order and all-rounders: Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy

The SRH middle order might not have big names, but they certainly have chipped in with match-winning runs, whenever required. Klaasen has been one of the top run-getters in IPL 2026, and has scored runs in almost all the IPL 2026 games.

The side also has the talented Nitish Kumar Reddy, who can be used as a floater in the team. He can be the rescue man for the side and can also work as a finisher. The SRH middle-order also has Smaran Ravichandran, and Salil Arora, and both players have the capability to take down any bowling attack.

Salil is likely to bat above Ravichandran, and SRH would hope he can do the finishing duties to perfection.

Also Read: IPL 2026 Playoffs Full Schedule, Match Timings, Venues And Live Streaming Details

Bowlers: Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain

The SRH bowling attack has done well as a unit in IPL 2026, and their biggest headache would be to dismiss the RR opener, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The teenager has been in sensational form, and the task to dismiss him could be taken care of by skipper Pat Cummins.

Cummins’ hard length deliveries targeting the body could put Sooryavanshi in trouble, and thus, the battle between the two players could be interesting. Alongside him, the reliable Sakib Hussain, Shivang Kumar, and Eshan Malinga would fulfill the bowling duties, with Praful Hinge coming on as an impact sub.

SRH strongest XI Vs RR- Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora, Smaran Ravichandran, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain