Dhruv Jurel credited his faith in Lord Hanuman (Bajrang Bali) following his match-defining performance for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator. Taking to social media after the high-stakes knockout game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on 27 May 2026, Jurel posted a picture with the caption: "When the going gets tough, Bajrang Bali gets you going." When Jurel arrived at the crease at No. 3, young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was in the middle of a historic, jaw-dropping destruction of the SRH bowling lineup, blasting 97 runs off just 29 deliveries. In many instances, teams lose momentum or suffer a quick collapse once a highly destructive opener departs. Instead, Jurel ensured there was absolutely no breathing room for the Hyderabad bowlers.
Rather than playing defensively to anchor the innings, Jurel immediately went after the bowling, smashing 5 boundaries and 3 massive sixes. He brought up his blisteringly fast 50-run milestone off just 20 deliveries in the 14th over by cleverly upper-cutting a short ball from Praful Hinge over deep backward point for a six. He was caught on the very next ball attempting a pull shot, finishing with an incredible strike rate of 238.1. Jurel officially crossed the 500-run threshold for the tournament, finishing the night at 508 runs for the season. He became only the third batsman in franchise history to score over 500 runs in a single IPL edition batting from No. 3 or lower, joining Riyan Parag (573 runs in 2024) and Sanju Samson (531 runs in 2024).
Rajasthan Royals defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad in Eliminator with 47 runs
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) completed a 47-run drubbing of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the IPL 2026 Eliminator on 27 May 2026. Played at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, the high-stakes knockout match saw a record-breaking batting exhibition followed by a clinical powerplay bowling masterclass. The comprehensive victory officially ended Hyderabad's season and kept the Royals' championship dreams alive. Fifteen-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced an iconic IPL playoff performance. He hammered 97 runs off just 29 balls, falling agonizingly close to Chris Gayle's record for the fastest-ever IPL century. In his boundary blitz, he smashed 5 fours and 12 massive sixes. By launching his 7th maximum of the night, he surpassed Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes hit in a single IPL season (previously 59), ticking his personal tally to 65 sixes.
Following a massive 125-run opening stand inside 8 overs, Dhruv Jurel kept the pressure firmly on SRH. Jurel brought up his 6th half-century of the season, blasting 50 runs off 21 balls at a strike rate of 238.1. At 207/4 in 15.2 overs, the Royals looked on course to comfortably clear 260. However, SRH's rookie bowler Praful Hinge spearheaded a brilliant late-innings fightback. Hyderabad squeezed the lower-middle order, taking 5 wickets and conceding just 36 runs in the final 5 overs to hold RR to 243/8. This victory preserved the Rajasthan Royals' flawless 4-0 record at the New Chandigarh stadium this season. By defeating SRH, the Royals secured their spot in Qualifier 2, scheduled for Friday, 29 May 2026. They will stay at the venue to clash against Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans (GT). The winner of Qualifier 2 will head directly to the Grand Finale to challenge Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for the IPL trophy.
