Scheduled
2nd MatchSunrisers Hyderabad
Starts in
11 days
Rajasthan Royals
56%
Sunrisers Hyderabad
44%
Rajasthan Royals
Sunrisers Hyderabad To Win, 1.72
The Sunrisers have won 5 of their last 6 matches at this venue
The Rajasthan Royals have lost each of their last 3 matches against the Sunrisers
The Sunrisers’ batting line-up is stronger compared to that of Rajasthan
As the opening game of the tournament, this should be a strong bet. Teams may look to start conservatively at this stage. The first three balls of Kolkata’s innings in the 2024 IPL Final were dot balls.
The Eden Gardens provides a fantastic batting surface. We think both teams will come out firing and will take the attack to the opposition. A good chance of this bet coming through.
As the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League kicks off later this month, the Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on the Rajasthan Royals in what will essentially be a rematch of Qualifier 2 of last year. The two teams will clash on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
The two teams have faced each other in 20 matches to date. The Sunrisers have won 11 games while Rajasthan Royals have won 9.
SRH and RR will take on each other to kick off their IPL 2025 campaign. This match can be watched live on the Jiostar App, Star Sports Network, and Sports 18 Network.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad put up a brilliant performance last year, finishing second on the points table. They went on to make it to the finals for the first time in 6 years but were ultimately defeated by KKR. Nevertheless, the Sunrisers will hope to begin their campaign on a positive note and continue from where they left off.
SRH retained as many as 5 players ahead of the mega auction held late last year. These included Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, and Nitish Reddy, all of whom had contributed generously towards the team’s success.
During the auction, SRH has further bolstered its batting prowess by bringing in Ishan Kishan, Atharva Taide, and Sachin Baby. The team management has also splurged a handsome amount on Abhinav Manohar, Kamindu Mendis, and Wiaan Mulder who not only add depth to the batting but are also reliable bowlers.
The bowling unit has a fresh look as SRH has let go of T Natarajan and Washington Sundar. Instead, Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel are likely to lead the pace attack alongside Pat Cummins, while Adam Zampa will spearhead the spin department.
The team is geared towards making big totals and being ultra-aggressive with the bat. The bowling, which was a weak link in the previous season, seems to have improved also.
After winning the inaugural season of the IPL back in 2008, the Rajasthan Royals’ performance hasn’t been consistent. While they did reach the playoffs in the previous edition, the Royals have finished in the top-4 only twice in the last 6 years.
The Rajasthan Royals retained the maximum allowed quota of 6 players before the start of the mega auction. The retained players include Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, and Shimron Hetmeyer. While these retentions did help the team maintain its core, that left them with the smallest purse on the auction and they struggled to pick up the right balance of players.
The biggest additions to the squad come in the form of bowlers. Jofra Archer was the costliest buy for RR. The pace attack has been further boosted by the inclusion of Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kwena Mphaka, and Akash Madhwal.
The Royals have also picked up two quality spinners in Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga, although the latter has been quite prone to injuries. The batting could be a weakness for the team as it lacks bench strength.
The team is also a bit short when it comes to quality all-rounders and they could struggle to find a well-balanced playing XI.
5 of the last 10 IPL matches played here have been won while chasing, while 5 were won while batting first. In 7 of the last 10 games played here, the captain winning the toss has opted to bat first. Looking at the stats, we expect that the winner of the toss will likely opt to bat here.
While the average first-inning score at Hyderabad in the IPL is around 160, the previous edition saw quite a few high-scoring encounters. The pitch is likely to be flat, offering excellent pace and bounce. The ball comes nicely onto the bat and playing shots will be easy, especially when the ball is new. The seamers will have to be accurate with their line and length. However, the spinners will get some help as the ball gets older.
Also, the surface tends to slow down in the second half. The team batting first will look to score around 200 runs. The weather will remain clear with plenty of sunshine and a temperature of around 35 degrees.
We are backing Sunrisers Hyderabad to win this match. They enjoyed an excellent run last year and as they have retained most of their key players, we expect them to play well. Playing at home in conditions that can be very high-scoring should suit the Sunrisers. While Rajasthan has a balanced squad as well, we feel that their batting could be a potential weakness for them.
SRH vs RR win percentage is currently at 57% in favor of the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Bet on the Sunrisers Hyderabad to win
Jonhenry is a die-hard cricket fan with a love for the game that knows no bounds. With years of experience in fantasy cricket and betting, Jonhenry brings a unique perspective to his tips and predictions. He's always on the pulse of the latest developments in the cricket world.
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