Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) enter their IPL 2025 opener against Rajasthan Royals (RR) as strong favourites, thanks to their explosive batting line-up and experienced bowling attack. With big hitters like Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, SRH are seen as a team capable of setting massive totals, especially on the batting-friendly pitch of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The return of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy from injury adds further depth to their squad. Last season, SRH crossed the 250-run mark three times, including a record-breaking 287 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Their bowling attack, led by captain Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami and Adam Zampa, further strengthens their case. Check IPL 2025 Match 4: DC vs LSG live score, match updates, full scorecard here
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals face challenges with captain Sanju Samson sidelined by a finger injury, making Riyan Parag the interim captain. The absence of English star Jos Buttler has weakened their batting line-up, though they still rely on the likes of Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana and Yashasvi Jaiswal. SRH dominated their meetings with RR last season, winning both encounters, including a crucial Qualifier 2 match. Given their recent form and balanced squad, SRH will look to maintain their dominance over RR in this highly anticipated clash.
SRH vs RR head-to-head:
Out of 20 encounters between SRH and RR in the IPL, SRH have emerged victorious 11 times, while RR have won 9 matches.
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Overall
- Total matches played: 20
- SRH won: 11
- RR won: 9
- Tie: 0
SRH vs RR head-to-head at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
- Total matches played: 5
- SRH won: 4
- RR won: 1
SRH vs RR head-to-head since 2021
- Total matches played: 7
- SRH won: 4
- RR won: 3
SRH vs RR key toss stats
- Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad (IPL)
- Matches: 77
- Bat 1st won: 34
- Bat 2nd won: 43
- Average 1st innings score: 160
Top performers in SRH vs RR matches:
RR captain Sanju Samson holds the record for the most runs in this fixture, with a total of 698 runs, while David Warner has the best individual performance with a 126-run innings for SRH vs KKR in 2017. As for the bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken the most wickets (15), while Alzarri Joseph has the best bowling figures of 6 for 12 for MI vs SRH in 2019.
What happened the last time these two sides met in IPL 2024?
The last time these two teams came face to face was in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2024. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured a comfortable 36-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Batting first, SRH posted a competitive total of 175/9 in their 20 overs. The innings got off to a shaky start as Abhishek Sharma fell for just 1 run in the opening over. Despite the early setback, Rahul Tripathi's explosive 37 off 15 balls provided some momentum, but Trent Boult's impactful double strike in the 5th over left SRH reeling at 57/3. Heinrich Klaasen played a crucial role, anchoring the middle overs with a well-constructed 50 off 34 balls. However, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Shahbaz Ahmed (18 off 18) offered brief resistance, and captain Pat Cummins' unbeaten 5 off 5 balls added some crucial runs at the end. Trent Boult was the pick of the bowlers for RR, taking 3/30, while Avesh Khan also claimed 3 wickets, conceding 27 runs.
In response, RR's chase struggled to gain momentum. Yashasvi Jaiswal's quickfire 42 off 21 balls gave hope, but his dismissal triggered a collapse. Dhruv Jurel stood tall with an unbeaten 56 off 35 balls, but lacked support from the other end. Shahbaz Ahmed was brilliant with the ball, taking 3/23, while Abhishek Sharma's 2/24 added to RR's woes. The disciplined bowling display from SRH ensured that RR could only manage 139/7 in their 20 overs, falling short by 36 runs.
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