🏏IPL 2025 - Match 2: RR vs SRH, 23 March 2025 @ 3:30 PM IST🏏 - Page 2

Team Watch:

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Injury/Unavailability: The 2024 finalists have a clean bill of health, with Pat Cummins and Nitish Reddy coming through to be ready from the beginning.

Tactics & Match-ups: SRH have the spin-smashing arsenal all over their top-order to make it a tough re-initiation into the IPL for Wanindu Hasaranga. The Sri Lankan spinner, who was coincidentally picked by SRH last season but couldn't feature due to an injury, comes up against the team with the highest-ever strike rate against spin in a single IPL edition - 161.43 in 2024.

While Abhishek Sharma has nearly struck at 200 against spin since IPL 2023, his opening partner Travis Head has gone at 164.51, while being even more menacing against pace. SRH then have two middle-order batters in Nitish Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen, who both strike at more than 180 against turn in this period. Hasaranga, with the joint-most T20 wickets since 2024, has the experience and ability to push back and reclaim some balance in an otherwise one-sided match-up.

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/Unavailability: Samson has confirmed that he hasn't fully recovered from his finger injury, and will not lead the team in the first three fixtures. Riyan Parag will take over, with Samson featuring as a pure batter. Given the injury is to his finger, RR could swap him in and out as an impact player.

Tactics & Match-ups: With the option of playing five Indian batters in the top-six, RR have flexibility with regards to their overseas bowling combinations. Hyderabad was a graveyard for spinners last season, which should prompt them to go with only one of their two Sri Lankan options in Hasaranga. SRH will field a left-heavy top-order but Hasaranga has a googly that he uses generously to mitigate the drawbacks of the match-up.

RR had the best PowerPlay bowling unit in 2024 in terms of average (27.48) and economy rate (8.24), putting Afghanistan's left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi front and centre of carrying the torch ahead in that phase even as the team has a new-look bowling attack. Since 2024, Farooqi has 45 PowerPlay wickets in the format - the best tally for that phase.

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 the Hyderabad venue. He has 527 runs in 12 innings there, including two fifties and as many centuries.

- In his last two seasons (2022 and 2023), Mohammed Shami picked 28 PowerPlay wickets in 33 matches, and conceded runs at just 7.08. In the season when the impact player rule was first introduced (IPL 2023), he conceded runs at 7.50 in the first six overs.

SRH vs RR Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter: Travis Head

Travis Head set IPL 2024 on fire with some destructive innings at the top of the order. He finished with 567 runs from 15 innings at an average of 40.50 and a strike rate of 191.55. The southpaw has continued that form since then and will hold the key for the Sunrisers, especially in the powerplay overs. With his consistent performances, he could be a strong contender for the IPL 2025 Orange Cap.

Probable Best Bowler: Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami has found a new home after shifting base from Gujarat. He missed IPL 2024 due to an injury but won the Purple Cap in the season before. The 34-year-old had a decent campaign in the 2025 Champions Trophy as he took nine wickets from five matches in India's triumphant run. With his wicket-taking ability, he could be in the race for the IPL 2025 Purple Cap Shami will look to give his team some early wickets with the new ball.

Today's Match Prediction: Team bowling first to win the match

Scenario 1

• Sunrisers Hyderabad win the toss and bowl
• PP Score - 55-65
• RR - 200-210
• Sunrisers Hyderabad win the match

Scenario 2

• Rajasthan Royals win the toss and bowl
• PP score - 60-70
• SRH- 210-220
• Rajasthan Royals win the match

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

Head to head: SRH have the upper hand overall, winning 11 of the 20 matches between the two sides. RR have only won once at Hyderabad's home in five attempts. That tally came very close to doubling last season, only for them to fall short by one run in a last-ball thriller.

Head to Head - Last 5 Matches

SRH won by 36 runs, 25-May-2024

SRH won by 1 run, 03-May-2024

SRH won by 4 wickets (with 0 balls remaining), 08-May-2023

RR won by 72 runs, 02-Apr-2023

RR won by 61 runs, 30-Mar-2022

Shami is with SRH now! How did I miss this at auction?😂

Batters to watch(Recent stats)

Travis Head, SRH

10 M • 332 Runs • 36.89 Avg • 186.51 SR

Abhishek Sharma, SRH

10 M • 273 Runs • 30.33 Avg • 210 SR

Yashasvi Jaiswal, RR

10 M • 333 Runs • 41.63 Avg • 162.43 SR

Riyan Parag, RR

10 M • 289 Runs • 41.29 Avg • 143.78 SR

Bowlers to watch(Recent stats)

Pat Cummins, SRH

10 M • 9 Wkts • 10.19 Econ • 24.66 SR

Jaydev Unadkat, SRH

6 M • 4 Wkts • 8.86 Econ • 21 SR

Sandeep Sharma, RR

8 M • 12 Wkts • 8.16 Econ • 15.5 SR

Tushar Deshpande, RR

1 M • 2 Wkts • 7.5 Econ • 12 SR

Don't forget to send your predictions for Match 2 between
RR and SRH on 23/03/2025.

Toss predictions by 3:00 PM IST

Rest of the predictions by 3:30PM IST.

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Mera kya .. I am

Thank you, Raji, for the thread and for tagging me.

I support RR because Jaiswal is there!

Best wishes to both the teams and all the supporters who support these teams.