IPL 2025: Sunrisers Hyderabad Eye Strong Start Against Rajasthan Royals
Sunrisers Hyderabad, the runners-up from last season’s IPL, will look to kick off their 2025 campaign with a strong performance when they face Rajasthan Royals in their opening match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Hyderabad: Sunrisers Hyderabad, the runners-up from last season’s IPL, will look to kick off their 2025 campaign with a strong performance when they face Rajasthan Royals in their opening match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
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Armed with a destructive batting line-up and an experienced bowling attack, Sunrisers enter the contest as clear favourites, especially with the match being played on a batting-friendly surface, promising a high-scoring encounter.
Explosive Batting Line-Up with Big Names
Sunrisers Hyderabad are equipped with some of the most explosive batters in world cricket. The top order, consisting of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen, is formidable and capable of posting huge totals.
Their ability to breach the 300-run mark in T20 cricket has been proven with three instances of posting totals above 250 last season, including an IPL record 287 against Royal Challengers Bangalore and 277 against Mumbai Indians.
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A key addition for Sunrisers this season is the return of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy from injury, further bolstering their already potent batting line-up. Abhishek Sharma, who recently scored a sensational 135 off just 54 balls against England in a T20I, has been in tremendous form and will be one to watch.
Bowling Attack to Counter Rajasthan’s Weaker Bowling Unit
The Sunrisers’ bowling unit, led by captain Pat Cummins and veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, is one of the strongest in the competition. The presence of experienced spinner Adam Zampa adds variety to their attack, giving them an edge over Rajasthan’s relatively inexperienced squad. With Rajasthan lacking depth in their bowling attack, apart from Jofra Archer, Sunrisers will likely look to set a mammoth total if they bat first.
Rajasthan Royals’ Setbacks and Leadership Changes
Rajasthan Royals will be facing an early setback with their skipper Sanju Samson nursing a finger injury. While Samson can still bat with protection, he won’t be able to field or keep wickets, forcing Rajasthan to make tactical adjustments. Young batter Riyan Parag will captain the team in the interim for the first three matches.
Rajasthan’s batting line-up looks slightly weaker following the release of Jos Buttler, though they still have quality players in Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, and Dhruv Jurel. However, with Sunrisers’ recent dominance over them, including two wins last season, Rajasthan will need a special performance to turn the tables.
Squads:
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Sachin Baby, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa, Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Chahar, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Atharva Taide, Brydon Carse, Simarjeet Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari.
Rajasthan Royals:
Riyan Parag (c), Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Kunal Singh Rathore, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Ashok Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Sandeep Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh.
Match Details:
- When: Sunday, Match 23
- Where: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
- Broadcast: The match will be televised live on the Star Sports Network.
- Streaming: The match will be live streamed on JioHotstar.
