In an volatile start to their IPL 2025 campaign, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) posted a enormous total of 286/6, led by Ishan Kishan’s brilliant 106* off 47 balls, to defeat Rajasthan Royals (RR) by 44 runs. Although a strong fight from RR’s Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel, who both counted half-centuries, SRH’s total proved too much to chase down.
Kishan, making his entrance for SRH, announced himself in style, smashing his first IPL century. His explosive knock, which included 11 boundaries and 6 sixes, was the highlight of SRH’s innings. He joined SRH’s already difficult line-up, which also featured Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. The pair got SRH off to a scorching start, helping the team reach 94 runs in the first six overs, the fifth-highest powerplay total in IPL history.
Travis Head was in critical form, finding the boundary with comfort against Rajasthan’s bowlers, while Abhishek Sharma also played a quick-fire knock before falling for 24 off 11 balls. After Sharma’s leaving, Kishan took over, bringing a series of big hits that had the crowd at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal thriving with excitement. His half-century came off just 25 balls, and he quickly raced to his hundred, raising his bat in front of the home crowd to celebrate the milestone.
Although a shaky start to their chase, Rajasthan Royals didn’t give up easily. After behind early wickets, including those of Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Riyan Parag, RR were stressed at 50/3 in the fifth over. Though, Samson, returning from a finger injury, and Jurel put up a strong fighting, sharing a 111-run partnership off 59 balls. Samson, showing no signs of injury, hit four sixes, while Jurel was violent against the seamers, clearing the boundary with ease.
The SRH bowlers, though, kept up the pressure. Harshal Patel bowled a brilliant slower bouncer to discharge Samson for 66, and Adam Zampa, SRH’s Impact Player, removed Jurel for 70, leaving RR at 161/5 in the 15th over. Despite late hits from Shimron Hetmyer, who was the only foreign batter in RR’s squad, Rajasthan fell short of the target, finishing with 242/6.
SRH’s win was not only a dominant performance with the bat but also an important one for their net run rate (NRR), as they look to set the tone for the rest of the season. Rajasthan Royals, despite the fight from their middle order, will need to reform quickly after this downfall.
