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Jofra Archer's three wickets inside the powerplay were crucial for Rajasthan Royals as they defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator of IPL 2026.
Speaking after the win, Archer said, "Apart from the figures, I thought I bowled pretty alright. I think all of the guys bowled alright. We stuck to our plans, we stuck to our lengths, and we were rewarded tonight." He dismissed Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan within his first three overs to dismantle the SRH top order when they were chasing a big target of 244 runs in a do-or-die clash. On taking the wicket of Abhishek Sharma on the second delivery of the first over, he said, "Usually, the team that gets the most wickets in the powerplay usually wins the game. So it's a lot of pressure, but I take it on, and I do my best for the team." Now, the Royals are just two wins away from their second IPL title. They need to defeat the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 to enter the final, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru are waiting for the other finalist. Archer said his side is heading in the right direction, but is wary of a late-season slump. After starting unbeaten in their first seven matches, Punjab Kings lost six on the bounce and missed out on the playoffs -- a collapse he doesn't want repeated. On the plans going forward in the tournament, he said, "Every game at a time. I think we are at our peak, well, I don't want to say peaking, and we're going in the right direction at the right time. We don't want what happened to Kings XI [PBKS] to happen to us. So I think we're on the right path. Everyone chipping in every game, and that's the important part." The 15-year-old teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played a big knock of 97 runs off just 29 balls with the help of 12 sixes and five fours, which helped RR set a 244-run target. Speaking on Sooryavanshi's knock, he said, "It was very exciting. The more runs he (Sooryavanshi) scores, the more runs we have to defend. So he can go on and get 150, so it's good for the boys when he gets a lot of runs." RR will take on GT in Qualifier 2 on Friday at the Maharaja Yadavindra International Stadium in New Chandigarh. (ANI)
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