IPL 2026: After nearly two months of high-octane and intense action, the four teams for the playoffs have been decided. The Royal Challengers Benglauru, Gujarat Titans, SunRisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals are the last four team standing, emerging triumphant after almost eight weeks of fierce battles. While the RCB and the Titans have two opportunities to make it to the final, it’s the Royals and the SunRisers that face a massive task. It is certainly worth exploring whether any team has lifted the trophy after finding themselves in the Eliminator.
IPL 2026: Has any team won the trophy after ending up in the Eliminator?
Notably, the SunRisers are the only team in history to win the IPL trophy after being in the Eliminator, accomplishing the rare feat in 2016 under the leadership of David Warner. The Orange Army had beaten the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Eliminator in Delhi and followed it up by getting the better of the Gujarat Lions at the same venue. With the SunRisers running into Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final, Warner stood up by playing a captain’s knock of 69 off 38 deliveries. Ben Cutting’s death-overs impetus was equally vital as half-centuries from Kohli (54) and Chris Gayle (76) went in vain, with the SunRisers sneaking an eight-run victory.
IPL 2026: What has been the recent results between the SunRisers Hyderabad and the Rajasthan Royals?
Meanwhile, the SunRisers have defeat the Royals twice this season, giving them some upper hand ahead of the playoffs. The fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad saw the rise of Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain for the SunRisers as they took four wickets each to rattle the Royals’ top-order, thereby fashioning a 57-run victory after amassing 217.
The SunRisers, captained by Pat Cummins at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, yet again. Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan scored explosive half-centuries to help their side gun down 229 with five wickets to spare and needed only 18.3 overs to do so, overshadowing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s second T20I hundred. The Royals, who won the IPL in the very first year, last played the final in 2022 but lost to the Titans.
Meanwhile, the SunRisers, who have also won the title once, last played the final in 2024 and finished as runners-up after losing to the Knight Riders.
