The IPL 2026 Eliminator between SRH and RR proved to be a one-sided contest. RR won by 47 runs to end SRH's campaign and will now face GT on May 29 in Qualifier 2 for a place in the May 31 final vs RCB. Vaibhav Suryavanshi owned the game with a brilliant 97 from 29 balls.
He broke Chris Gayle's record for most sixes in a season but misses the IPL record for the fastest 100.
An Ashes Battle Within an IPL Eliminator
But there was a small Ashes battle that brewed, albeit for just four balls, during SRH's innings. It was between RR's Jofra Archer and SRH's Travis Head. Archer and Head had faced off not too long ago for England and Australia respectively in The Ashes. Now, they were on a collision course in the Eliminator of IPL 2026 which did not give any side a second chance.
© X/IPL
The Ashes Battle Lasted Four Balls
The first ball from Archer to head was at the start of the 5th over and it was a dot. The 2nd one was creamed by Head as he made room to cut and smashed the ball to the boundary. The next delivery was a dot ball as well. Then came the gamechanger. Archer produced a 150 kmph ball and Head backed away to hit it to the boundary. Only one problem, Archer's ball was too quick. Head missed and Archer hit. The stumps shattered and the battle was over. The Ashes had lasted just four balls within the Eliminator.
Too Fast for Travis Head
Take a look at the ball that sent back Head to end his IPL 2026 on a low note as Archer continues to thrive:
Jofra Archer and Travis Head in IPL 2026
This wicket effectively swung the game in RR's favour. Head made just 17 and Archer finished with 3/58. Head finished IPL 2026 with 410 runs in 15 innings at an average of 27.33 and strike rate of 170.12 with two 50s and a personal best of 76. Archer has 24 wickets from 15 games and has a chance to win the Purple Cap with at least one if not two games left for RR.
Can RR End 18-Year Title Drought?
RR are now two wins away from a historic title. They won the first-ever edition in 2008 but since then the trophy has eluded them. The closest they came was when they entered the final in 2022 but lost to GT, the very franchise they face on May 29 for the right to play RCB in the summit clash.