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Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL Tips - Hosts set for a breezy start

By Sridhar Bhamidi

21 Mar 2025

Sridhar Bhamidi 21 Mar 2025

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Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL match predictions to be played in Hyderabad on Sunday, March 23
Sunrisers hit the most 6s in 6 of their last 7 IPL matches at this venue
Rajasthan conceded the most 6s in their last 3 IPL matches against SRH

Will the big hits keep flowing from the Sunrisers? (Getty Images)

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 comes to town to Hyderabad this weekend as last season’s runners-up, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, welcome the Rajasthan Royals. This is match #2 of the season and will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday, with 3:30 pm IST the scheduled start.

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL
Head to Head
Sunrisers Hyderabad Form
Sunrisers Hyderabad Team News
Rajasthan Royals Form
Rajasthan Royals Team News
Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL FAQs

It was Hyderabad’s aggressive top-order batting that blew away most of their opponents last season. Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma remain a dangerous opening partnership, and they have the licence to go berserk, making them favourites to scale more and more sixes. I am backing Sunrisers to score the most match 6s here.

Sunrisers hit the most match 6s in 6 of their last 7 completed matches in Hyderabad in the IPL.
Sunrisers also hit the most match 6s in 3 of their last 4 matches at this venue against the Royals in the IPL.
Rajasthan Royals conceded the most match 6s in their last 3 matches against the Sunrisers in the IPL.

Head to Head

There have been 20 IPL matches between the Sunrisers and the Royals so far in the history of this tournament. The record is very close, with Hyderabad having a slender 11-9 lead in the final results.

Last season, these sides played twice, once in the league phase and again in the second qualifier. Hyderabad won the league match at this venue by one run and then aced the second qualifier in Chennai by 36 runs.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Form

The Sunrisers Hyderabad came close to adding another title to their cabinet but fell short last year, losing by eight wickets in the final to Kolkata. They were second in the group phase, winning eight of 14 matches, and edged Rajasthan to that spot by virtue of better NRR.

The batting core is the same for Hyderabad, with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, and Nitish Reddy joined by Ishan Kishan.

Bowling will once again be led by captain Pat Cummins, who now has Mohammed Shami for support, while Harshal Patel is another interesting addition.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Team News

The four overseas players for this game could be Cummins, Head, Klaasen, and Adam Zampa, although the presence of all-rounder Wiaan Mulder gives them an extra option.

Rajasthan Royals Form

The Rajasthan Royals finished just short of the final last year, losing to Hyderabad in the second qualifier. They finished third in the group stage and defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator.

The absence of strong overseas batters is a concern at Rajasthan, as they only have Shimron Hetmyer in the ranks. Sanju Samson has just recovered from a finger surgery and will play the first three matches as a pure batter.

That could leave him as an impact player, which means the overseas pack of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jofra Archer, and Fazalhaq Farooqi will lead their bowling charge.

Rajasthan Royals Team News

Rian Parag will lead the side, and the four overseas players for this match could be Hasaranga, Archer, Hetmyer, and Theekshana.

Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL FAQs

Where can I watch the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL live stream?

Our live streaming calendar shows you where to watch the Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL live stream.

What time does Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL start?

This Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals IPL match is being played at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad, starting at 3:30 p.m. IST on Sunday, March 23.

Verdict

Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals - T20

Last season saw the Sunrisers produce some of their best form over the years to reach the final. The biggest contributor has been their home form, with Hyderabad proving to be a near-fortress. Although the Royals were exceptional on the road last season, they failed to breach this fortress. While that tempts me to back Hyderabad on the win stakes, I am looking at their aggressive batting template to continue the job. I am putting my money on Sunrisers Hyderabad scoring the most match 6s here.