Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will host Rajasthan Royals (RR) for the second game of IPL 2025. The game is scheduled for Sunday (March 23) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
SRH had a brilliant campaign last season. The Hyderabad-based outfit displayed an attacking brand of cricket and just blew teams away. They have managed to retain the same core for this season as well and will look to go all the way.
SRH qualified for the final last year but could not win the title decider against Kolkata Knight Riders. They will be keen to win the tournament this season and lay their hands on the trophy for the second time and first time since 2016.
On the other hand, RR’s journey in IPL 2024 ended with a defeat against SRH in the second qualifier. RR were the most consistent team in the first half of the season last year before losing their way towards the end. They will look to start the season on a strong note once again. So, as SRH and RR gear up for the game, here is the SRH vs RR match preview.
SRH vs RR Match Preview- IPL 2025, Match 2:
SRH vs RR, Date and Venue:
The upcoming SRH vs RR match will be played on Sunday (March 23) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. The match is scheduled to be played from 03:30 PM IST.
Squads:
Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klassen, Nitish Reddy, Ishan Kishan, Mohammad Shami, Harshal Patel, Rahul Chahar, Adam Zampa, Atharva Taide, Abhinav Manohar, Simarjeet Singh, Zeeshan Ansari, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Eshan Malinga, Sachin Baby
Injury replacement: Wiaan Mulder replaced the injured Brydon Carse
Rajasthan Royals:
Sanju Samson (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma, Jofra Archer, Wainindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Nitish Rana, Tushar Deshpande, Shubham Dubey, Yudhvir Charak, Fazal Farooqi, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Kwena Maphaka, Kunal Rathore, Ashok Sharma
SRH vs RR key battles:
Travis Head vs Jofra Archer:
The equation will be very simple for RR in the upcoming game – get rid of Travis Head as early as possible. The Australia star can cause irreparable damage even if he manages to bat for a few overs and RR would be keen to get his wicket as early as possible.
Head was in sensational form last season, scoring 567 runs at a strike rate of more than 190. He will be eyeing a similar performance this season as well and will be keen to start his campaign on a good note.
RR will be hoping that their pace spearhead Jofra Archer dismisses Head as early as possible. Last month, Archer had dismissed Head cheaply when Australia faced England in the Champions Trophy and the fast-bowler will be fancying his chances of dismissing the opener again.
Heinrich Klaasen vs Wanindu Hasaranga:
This battle could very well decide the fate of the SRH vs RR game. Heinrich Klaasen is one of the most destructive batsmen in the world at present and he is equally good against spin bowlers. The onus will be on him to end SRH’s innings on a strong note.
RR, on the other hand, will be relying on their Sri Lankan star Wanindu Hasaranga to contain Klaasen. Hasaranga is also one of the best white-ball spinners in the world and he would be backing himself to win his duel against the South Africa star.
Sanju Samson vs Pat Cummins:
The battle of the captains will also be a very crucial one in the upcoming SRH vs RR game. Sanju Samson is entering this season on the back of three centuries in T20Is. The RR skipper has made a habit of starting the season well and he will be looking to do the same in the upcoming as well.
Samson can very well take the game away from SRH if he bats long enough. And the onus will be on SRH captain Pat Cummins to ensure that his RR counterpart does not bat for long.
SRH vs RR Key Players:
SRH – Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, Pat Cummins, and Harshal Patel will be the key players for SRH.
RR – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, and Sandeep Sharma will be the key players for RR.
SRH vs RR Weather Report:
While the weather forecast has predicted a sunny day in Hyderabad on the match day, there is a slight chance of rain in the city. The temperature is likely to hover in the early 30s during the game.
Conclusion:
Both SRH and RR had a good campaign last year and they will be keen to start this campaign on a winning note as well. After missing out on the trophy last year, both teams will be looking to go all the way in IPL 2025.
