Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) kicked off their IPL 2025 season with a jaw-dropping display of power-hitting, crushing Rajasthan Royals (RR) with a massive 286/6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. It was a night where records tumbled, bowlers scrambled, and Ishan Kishan stole the show with a breathtaking maiden IPL century!
Early Onslaught: Sharma & Head Set the Stage
RR skipper Riyan Parag won the toss and decided to bowl first, banking on the dry Uppal wicket. But it backfired almost immediately. Abhishek Sharma came out blazing, smashing 24 off just 11 balls, setting the perfect tone for SRH’s carnage. His opening partner, Travis Head, was in no mood to slow down either. Head smashed 67 off 31 balls, lacing his innings with nine boundaries and three towering sixes.
Kishan’s Heroics: Maiden Ton in Style!
With SRH at 45/1 after just 3.1 overs, enter Ishan Kishan. The left-hander went berserk, reaching his first IPL century off just 45 balls — the third-fastest for SRH, trailing only behind Head (41 balls) and Warner (43 balls). He stitched crucial partnerships: an 85-run stand off 38 balls with Head, and a 72-run blitz off 29 balls with Nitish Reddy. Kishan remained unbeaten on 106 off 47 balls, cracking 11 fours and 6 maximums!
Captain Cummins Sets the Tone
Post-match, Kishan credited SRH skipper Pat Cummins for the fearless environment in the camp. “The skipper’s given us all so much freedom. Doesn’t matter if you get out early or make big runs – it’s about playing for the team,” Kishan shared with official broadcasters Jiostar. Cummins’ mantra of ultra-aggressive cricket, backed by head coach Daniel Vettori, has clearly injected life into SRH’s batting unit.
SRH’s Record Books: Dominating the Charts
SRH’s 286/6 now stands as the second-highest total in IPL history – just one run shy of their own record 287/3 against RCB last season. The Hyderabad franchise now boasts four of the top five highest team totals in the tournament’s history. Talk about owning the big stage!
Archer’s Nightmare & Royals’ Fightback
For RR, Jofra Archer had a day to forget. The England pacer leaked a record-breaking 76 runs in his four overs, surpassing Mohit Sharma’s infamous 73-run spell. Despite the pounding, RR did show fight with Tushar Deshpande bowling the most dot balls (8) and Shubham Dubey bagging the Super Striker award.
SRH’s Big Guns Fire Together
From Abhishek Sharma’s fiery start to Head’s clinical assault and Kishan’s masterclass, SRH’s batting depth looked scary. Even lower down, Nitish Reddy and Klaasen chipped in to maintain the run-rate. Cummins’ men look set to make IPL 2025 their playground if this form continues.
Post-Match Honors: Kishan Steals the Limelight
- Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan
- Most 4s: Ishan Kishan (11)
- Super Sixes: Ishan Kishan (6)
- Most Dot Balls: Tushar Deshpande (8)
- Most Fantasy Points: Ishan Kishan (220)
- Super Striker: Shubham Dubey
Royals’ Response:
Chasing a mammoth 287, RR needed everything to go right. Unfortunately, it was an uphill battle from the start. The top order crumbled under pressure with Yashasvi Jaiswal (9) and Jos Buttler (12) falling cheaply to Marco Jansen and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, respectively.
Parag & Samson Try to Rebuild
Captain Riyan Parag and Sanju Samson tried to steady the ship with a 50-run stand but struggled to keep up with the required run rate. Samson’s run-a-ball 28 wasn’t enough on a night demanding fireworks. Parag chipped in with 35 off 22 but couldn’t convert it into a big one.
Dubey’s Fightback in Vain
The lone bright spark for RR was Shubham Dubey. Coming in at No. 6, Dubey counter-attacked with a quickfire 52 off 24 balls, including 4 sixes and 3 boundaries. His late surge earned him the Super Striker award but couldn’t rescue RR from a crushing defeat.
SRH Bowlers Share the Spoils
Pat Cummins led from the front with 3 wickets for 31 runs, showing why he’s one of the world’s best. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Marco Jansen picked up 2 wickets each, while Mayank Markande kept things tight in the middle overs. RR were eventually bundled out for 202 in 18.5 overs, handing SRH a comfortable 83-run win.
Match Summary
- SRH: 286/6 (20 overs)
- RR: 202 all out (18.5 overs)
- Result: SRH won by 83 runs
