IPL 2026 Eliminator: What historical data tells about possible winner between SRH and RR

With Qualifier 1 done and dusted, it's time we shift our attention to the second of the four playoff fixtures in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League – the Eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

Qualifier 1 involves teams that finish first and second on the points table at the end of the league stage, in which the winner advances to the final and the loser gets another shot. The Eliminator, meanwhile, involves the teams finishing third and fourth, respectively.

Unlike Qualifier 1, the Eliminator is a knockout clash, meaning the loser walks home. The winner than faces the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2, with the winner of this clash advancing to the final.

Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium hosted Tuesday's Qualifier 1 showdown between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans, in which the Rajat Patidar-led defending champions thrashed Shubman Gill's men by 92 runs to reach a second successive final.

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The action now shifts to the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium in New Chandigarh, which will host the Eliminator as well as Qualifier 2, with Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium set to host the final.

Sunrisers and Royals' contrasting journeys to the playoffs

SRH's campaign has been similar to that of GT, with the 'Orange Army' beginning the season on a shaky note by losing three out of their first four matches, including the season-opener against RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Sunrisers, however, would bounce back with five wins on the trot to move into the playoffs zone, and haven't dropped out since then.

RR, on the other hand, were firmly on top of the table with four consecutive wins but would gradually drop out of the top-four spots and slip as low as sixth after losing six of their next eight games.

They were left needing to win both of their last two games – against Lucknow Super Giants at home and Mumbai Indians away – in order to beat Punjab Kings to the playoffs. And Riyan Parag's men ended up doing just that, becoming the fourth and final team to qualify on the last day of the league stage.

How SRH and RR have fared in IPL playoffs over the years

And in the build-up to the SRH-RR clash, we take a look at how these two teams have fared in playoffs over the years, and which team is likely to fare better in New Chandigarh:

Sunrisers Hyderabad

The Sunrisers had made their debut in 2013, replacing the defunct Deccan Chargers – the team that previously represented Hyderabad from the inaugural season in 2008 till 2012 – and began their journey on a successful note by reaching the playoffs on debut.

The 'Orange Army' would then transform into one of the most successful teams in the latter half of the 2010s, reaching the playoffs five consecutive times between 2016 to 2020 under the leadership of David Warner and Kane Williamson, which included their only title in 2016 and a runner-up finish in 2020.

The team would then experience a decline over the next three seasons, before Pat Cummins' arrival led to them reaching the final of the 2024 edition, where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders.

Here’s a detailed look at SRH’s playoffs record over the years:

2013: Fourth-place

2016: Champions

2017: Fourth-place

2018: Runners-up

2019: Fourth-place

2020: Third-place

2024: Runners-up

Rajasthan Royals

The Rajasthan Royals will forever occupy a special place in IPL history as the champions of the inaugural season in 2008, having won the title under the leadership of the late Shane Warne, defeating MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the final.

The Royals, however, haven't been particularly consistent since then as far as making the playoffs is concerned, finishing among the top-four only five more times until the 18th season last year. In their defence, however, RR were missing in action in 2016 and 2017 as they were serving a two-year suspension along with Chennai Super Kings, and might have had at least one more appearance in the playoffs had that not been the case.

The only other team they reached the final was in 2022 – under Sanju Samson's leadership just a couple of months after Warne's untimely demise in Thailand. Unfortunately for the Royals and their fans, they were stopped short of winning the title by Gujarat Titans, one of two franchises making their IPL debut that year.

Here’s a detailed look at RR’s playoffs record over the years:

2008: Champions

2013: Fourth-place

2015: Fourth-place

2018: Fourth-place

2022: Runners-up

2024: Third-place

Who will win between SRH and RR?

It's clear that SRH has done better than RR when it comes to qualifying for the playoffs and doing well in the final stages.

Interestingly, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have only met once in the playoffs, with SRH beating RR by 26 runs in Qualifier 2 to reach the 2024 final.

SRH also dominates the overall head-to-head record against RR in 23 matches so far.

SRH vs RR head-to-head record

Matches played: 23

SRH won: 14

RR won: 9

No result: 0

All in all, Sunrisers appear to have the upper hand on Rajasthan, and could be seen as the favourites in the IPL Eliminator.