The Pat Cummins-led Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are preparing for their upcoming playoff clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR), which will take place in New Chandigarh. Notably, this will be a do-or-die clash for both sides to remain in contention for the final of the marquee event, where they will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
SRH Ready with Plans for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
One of the biggest concerns for SRH is stopping teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had earlier smashed a memorable century against them in Jaipur during the league stage.
Cummins admitted that planning for players like him is never simple, especially when a batter can change the game in a few overs.
"It's always a balance as a bowler, understanding what you do well and how you're going to bowl to your strengths. But when there are one or two players in every lineup who can take the game away, you do spend a little longer working on a Plan B or Plan C. We'll plan for him. Even though he got a hundred against us last time, I thought there were times we actually bowled quite well to him and kept him quiet. At other times, he got away. So we'll learn from that," Cummins said.
Focus on Execution Over Overthinking
The SRH skipper also stressed that the team does not want to overthink individual match-ups. Instead, they are aiming to stay disciplined and stick to their core strengths as a bowling unit.
"We'll try to stick to our strengths and make small adjustments where needed. It's about executing better in key moments," he added.
SRH vs RR IPL head-to-head
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have faced each other 23 times in IPL history, with SRH holding the upper hand with 14 wins compared to RR’s 9 victories.
The two teams met twice in IPL 2026, and on both occasions, SRH came out on top, first with a commanding 57-run win and then with a comfortable five-wicket victory. In fact, SRH have dominated this rivalry in recent years, winning each of their last five matches against RR. Rajasthan Royals’ last victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad came back in IPL 2023.