Jofra Archer hilariously refused to reveal his bowling plans against teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after Rajasthan Royals’ dominant win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator.
The Eliminator itself turned into a complete Rajasthan Royals masterclass, with Sooryavanshi and Archer dominating opposite halves of the game. Batting first, the 15-year-old prodigy unleashed carnage on the SRH bowling attack, smashing a breathtaking 97 off just 29 deliveries. His innings included 12 towering sixes as he dismantled bowlers like Pat Cummins and powered Rajasthan to a massive 243/8.
In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad began the chase believing their explosive batting line-up could still pull off the impossible. However, Archer produced a devastating powerplay spell that completely shattered SRH’s hopes. He removed Abhishek Sharma for a duck on just the second ball of the innings, before dismissing the dangerous Ishan Kishan and Travis Head as well. Hyderabad’s chase was in ruins. SRH were eventually bowled out for 196 in 19.2 overs, handing Rajasthan Royals a commanding 47-run victory and a place in Qualifier 2.
During a viral post-match interview on the IPL’s official platforms, Archer was asked whether he had discovered a secret formula to stop Sooryavanshi while bowling to him in the nets. Instead of exposing any possible weakness in his young teammate’s game, the England pacer jokingly avoided the question.
With a smile, Archer told the broadcasters that he would reveal where he bowls to Sooryavanshi “after the IPL ends,” leaving fans and future opponents guessing.
“The more runs he scores, the more runs we have to defend. So he can go on and get 150, it’s good for the boys when he scores a lot of runs,” Archer said.
When asked if he bowls to Sooryavanshi in the nets, Archer replied: “Sometimes.”
And when the presenter pushed further by asking where exactly he bowls to him, Archer laughed and responded: “I’ll tell you after the IPL.”
131365338
