The swashbuckling Sunrisers Hyderabad, last year’s runner-up, begins its quest to go one step further when it hosts Rajasthan Royals in its Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season opener at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Last year, the home side banked on its batting strengths to shock and awe its opponents. SRH surpassed the 250-run mark thrice, while the pair of Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head set an IPL PowerPlay record (125 vs Delhi Capitals). That strategy is set to continue following the addition of the explosive Ishan Kishan to a formidable lineup of Head, Abhishek, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Heinrich Klaasen.
A revamped bowling unit, though, will be the one to watch. Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel link up with Pat Cummins in the pace department, while the services of Rahul Chahar and Adam Zampa have been sought for spin. With Jos Buttler gone, the Royals will bank on Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, and Riyan Parag’s pace penchant (the trio has a combined strike rate of 159.16 vs quicks last season) to match SRH’s pyrotechnics.
READ: SRH vs RR head-to-head record, IPL 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals overall stats; most runs, wickets
All eyes will be on how much game time Samson—making his way back from a finger injury—gets, with RR having the impact player option to use him minimally as well.
The Royals have a relatively inexperienced bowling attack, with Jofra Archer shouldering the bulk of the responsibility. The Sri Lankan spin pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana also have a key role to play in controlling the middle overs.
The inaugural champion also decided not to buy overseas batters, leaving the retained Shimron Hetmyer as its only foreign option. There haven’t been many teams who have opted for an all-Indian top five, and with not many reliable backup options, the Royals have either stumbled on a winning formula or see value in their domestic bench strength, which includes 13-year-old batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest player to earn an IPL contract.
With a 11-9 head-to-head record and a pitch looking primed for a run-fest, the odds favour the home side going into this clash. While there were scattered thunderstorms in the Twin Cities over the weekend, there’s little fear of the weather playing spoilsport. There is, however, a good probability that it will rain sixes.