RR and SRH aim to meet rising batting expectations.

On the eve of this clash at a venue that has long been a paradise for batters, SRH head coach Daniel Vettori revealed that captain Pat Cummins has placed the responsibility squarely on his batters. Last season’s runners-up dished out as much carnage with the bat as they endured with the ball but still made it to the final before faltering at the last hurdle. Once again, Cummins expects his batters to shoulder the bulk of the workload while the bowlers find a way to survive on pitches that heavily favor the opposition.

300. Three Hundred. Those are the figures. The benchmark. The quiet expectation of batting dominance this season. Bowlers’ open concerns about the impact player rule tilting the game further in favor of batters didn’t bring about the changes they had hoped for. Instead, the rule has been extended for another season, and teams—including those set to face off in Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon—have come to terms with the new reality of modern-day IPL cricket.

Sanju Samson highlighted how much the game has changed, narrowing the imbalance between bat and ball down to how ‘maximizing the PowerPlay’ has evolved. The team he faces on Sunday afternoon smashed two 100-plus scores in this phase last season to top the charts. With the same lethal top order retained and Ishan Kishan added to the mix, SRH are once again prime contenders to put up unprecedented totals. RR, meanwhile, have had their once-potent bowling attack stripped down and reconstructed, bringing in a touch of inexperience.

Sunday afternoon’s fixture may not carry the legacy, aura, or hype of the prime-time showdown in Chennai between two multiple-time champions (CSK and MI), but both teams—each with an IPL trophy in their cabinet—have the firepower to produce a thrilling contest of their own.

Match Details

When: SRH vs RR, Match 2, IPL 2025, March 23, 03:30 PM IST
Where: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad

What to expect: Runs and thunderstorms. The Indian Meteorological Department-Hyderabad has issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) across parts of Telangana, including Hyderabad, from Saturday to Monday. However, there is no forecast of rain on match day.

Head-to-Head Record

SRH have the upper hand overall, winning 11 of the 20 encounters between these sides. RR have only managed one victory in Hyderabad in five attempts. That record nearly doubled last season, but they fell short by just one run in a last-ball thriller.

Team Updates

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Injury/Availability: Last season’s runners-up have a fully fit squad, with Pat Cummins and Nitish Reddy both cleared to play from the outset.

Tactics & Key Matchups: SRH’s batting lineup is stacked with players who excel against spin, making life difficult for Wanindu Hasaranga in his IPL return. The Sri Lankan spinner, ironically signed by SRH last season but unable to play due to injury, will face the team that recorded the highest-ever strike rate against spin in a single IPL season—161.43 in 2024.

Abhishek Sharma has been striking at nearly 200 against spin since IPL 2023, while his opening partner Travis Head has maintained a strike rate of 164.51, with an even greater impact against pace. Further down, Nitish Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen both score at over 180 against spin, posing a formidable challenge for Hasaranga. However, with the joint-most T20 wickets since 2024, the Sri Lankan leg-spinner has the skill and experience to push back.

Probable XII: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhinav Manohar, Sachin Baby/Aniket Verma, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Adam Zampa, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Chahar/Jaydev Unadkat

Rajasthan Royals

Injury/Availability: Skipper Sanju Samson is yet to fully recover from his finger injury and will not lead the side for the first three matches. Riyan Parag will take charge in his absence, while Samson plays solely as a batter. Given his injury, RR may opt to use him as an impact substitute.

Tactics & Key Matchups: With the ability to field five Indian batters in the top six, RR have flexibility in choosing their overseas bowling combination. Since Hyderabad has historically been tough for spinners, they might go with just one of their two Sri Lankan options, likely Hasaranga. SRH’s top order is left-hander heavy, but Hasaranga’s frequent use of the googly could neutralize this mismatch.

RR boasted the best PowerPlay bowling attack in IPL 2024 in terms of average (27.48) and economy rate (8.24), making Fazalhaq Farooqi a crucial figure. Since 2024, the Afghan left-arm quick has taken 45 PowerPlay wickets in T20s—more than anyone else during this period.

Probable XII: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, Dhruv Jurel, Shubham Dubey, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Did You Know?

• Sanju Samson averages 52.70 and strikes at 162.65 in T20s at Hyderabad. He has scored 527 runs in 12 innings here, including two fifties and two centuries.

• In IPL 2022 and 2023, Mohammed Shami picked up 28 PowerPlay wickets in 33 matches while maintaining an economy of just 7.08. Even after the introduction of the impact player rule in IPL 2023, he conceded runs at only 7.50 in the first six overs.

What They Said

“Just don’t be the team that concedes 300.” — Daniel Vettori’s straightforward approach for his bowlers in another impact player-dominated season.

“After my second year as captain when we reached the final in 2022, I realized I wouldn’t be leading Rajasthan Royals forever. Someone has to be ready to take over after me. So, we’ve worked on developing leaders in the squad. For the next three games, we believe Riyan Parag is prepared and capable of leading the side.” — Sanju Samson on RR’s leadership transition.