WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre recently stunned Indian sports fans by throwing his support behind young cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the crucial IPL Eliminator between the Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Drew McIntyre's special post for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The three-time WWE Champion shared a workout video on social media wearing Sooryavanshi's RR jersey, capturing the post with the phrase, "Chosen one." This specific moniker holds immense weight for McIntyre, who was famously dubbed the "Chosen One" early in his WWE career, overcame a subsequent release from the company, and returned in 2017 to capture four world titles.
By bestowing this legendary nickname on Sooryavanshi, McIntyre has highlighted the meteoric rise of the young left-handed batter, who has been unstoppable since making his tournament debut. After an impressive 252-run season in 2025, Sooryavanshi cemented his spot as a regular in the Royals' playing XI for the 2026 season. He has since amassed a staggering 583 runs across 14 matches, firmly putting himself in contention for the prestigious Orange Cap.
Unsurprisingly, these powerhouse performances have fast-tracked the youngster into the national team conversation. Sooryavanshi has already received a call-up to the India A squad for an upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A. Furthermore, cricket insiders expect that regardless of how he fares in that specific tournament, his current momentum will likely secure him a spot in the senior Indian T20I squad for the upcoming tours of Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Stage set for SRH vs RR IPL 2026 Eliminator
The high-stakes IPL 2026 Eliminator is a do-or-die encounter for both Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. In this uncompromising knockout format, the winning team keeps their championship hopes alive, while the losing side will see their tournament campaign come to an immediate end. However, the victory tonight is just the first step, as the surviving team will still need to conquer one more high-pressure match before they can punch their ticket to the grand finale.
The team that emerges victorious from this Eliminator will advance to face the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the high-voltage second qualifier. The Titans are looking to bounce back after suffering a bruising 92-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Qualifier One.
Meanwhile, the victorious Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have already secured their place in the grand finale. As the defending IPL champions, RCB will enjoy a brief respite before making their highly anticipated on-field return on May 31st to defend their crown against whichever challenger survives the playoff gauntlet.