Drew McIntyre grabbed attention ahead of the IPL 2026 Eliminator after posting a gym video wearing a Rajasthan Royals jersey with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s name on it.“Chosen One,” wrote McIntyre in the caption of his social media post, which quickly went viral ahead of Rajasthan Royals’ knockout clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday. The Eliminator will see the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi take on a strong Sunrisers Hyderabad side that has built momentum in the second half of the tournament. SRH won five of their last seven league matches after regular captain Pat Cummins returned to the side. Having already beaten Rajasthan Royals twice in the league stage, Sunrisers Hyderabad will head into the knockout game with an advantage.Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, secured their playoff spot only on the final day of the league stage. Led by Riyan Parag in his first season as full-time captain, the team will now look to finally get the better of SRH and move further in the tournament.Royals’ batting has largely depended on their top order, with Sooryavanshi scoring 583 runs this season, while Yashasvi Jaiswal has made 397 and Dhruv Jurel has scored 458.Sunrisers Hyderabad have also relied heavily on their top-order trio of Abhishek Sharma (563 runs), Travis Head (393) and Ishan Kishan (569). Heinrich Klaasen has also played a major role at number four with 606 runs this season.

Parag has faced criticism for both his batting and leadership during the season, but Rajasthan Royals still managed to reach the playoffs under his captaincy.