The pitch of Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad has hosted a total of 77 matches. Teams batting first have won 34 times and the team chasing have won 42 times. This suggests chasing is a good option but recently batting first has been favourable with the changing nature of the pitch towards a high-scoring pitch in the first inning. The average score in the first innings is 163, and in the second innings, it is 152.
Hyderabad and Rajasthan have played 20 matches against each other in the IPL. Hyderabad has won 11 times, while Rajasthan has won 9 times. SRH have smashed the highest score of 217 against Rajasthan while RR’s highest score of 220 is better than that of SRH. Rajasthan won that match by 72 runs scoring 220 batting first.
Sandeep Sharma has dismissed Travis Head twice in 21 balls. Head has scored 25 runs at a strike rate of 119.0, struggling to dominate. In 2024, he managed 15 off 15 balls before Sandeep got him out. This contest will be crucial in the powerplay.
Cummins has dismissed Parag twice in 13 balls. Parag has scored just 14 runs at a strike rate of 107.7. In 2024, he made 9 off 7 balls before Cummins sent him back. The Aussie pacer has the edge.
Kishan has just scored 38 runs off 33 balls against Sandeep but has fallen to him three times. In 2024, Sandeep got him out for a duck. Kishan needs to find a way to handle his swing better.
Travis Head was a standout performer for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2024. He amassed 567 runs in 15 matches. Head has an average of 40.50 and an impressive strike rate of 191.55 in IPL 2024. Head is a hard hitter of the ball, hitting 64 fours and 32 sixes last year. He is a valuable asset for SRH in IPL 2025 as well.
Pat Cummins contributed not only through his visionary mindset but also by giving good numbers with the ball in hand. Pat took 18 wickets in 16 matches with a strike rate of 20.33 and a best of 3/43 in IPL 2024. He took his team to the Finals and performed well enough to be retained for IPL 2025.
As captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sanju Samson had a stellar season, scoring 531 runs in 15 innings. He looked in great form for a complete IPL season for the first time in his life, else he used to be a great player in one match and then the worst player in another. He maintained an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.47. Sanju hit 48 fours and 24 sixes in IPL 2024. Sanju will not be the captain for Rajasthan Royals in the first three matches and will play as a pure batter which will ease off pressure from Sanju Samson’s head and he can play more effectively.
Sandeep Sharma, representing RR, played 11 matches and took 13 wickets in IPL 2024. He achieved the best bowling figures of 5/18 in a match which is outstanding. With an average of 23.92 and an economy rate of 8.18, he was a top bowler for Rajasthan.
Riyan Parag emerged as a key middle-order batsman for RR, with improvement in batting he accumulated 573 runs in 16 matches. He scored 84 not out in a match against Delhi Capitals while chasing and won the match for his team. He averaged 52.09 with a strike rate of 149.22. His IPL 2024 season included 40 fours and 33 sixes.
K Nitish Reddy was the emerging star for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the previous season scoring 303 runs in 13 matches and 11 innings. He scored 76 not out against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024. He averages 33.66 in his IPL career and 81.00 against Rajasthan Royals which makes him a valuable pick.
An Australian leg-spinner known for his wicket-taking abilities, Adam Zampa had limited opportunities in IPL 2024.
A right-arm fast bowler, Akash Madhwal had an underwhelming IPL 2024 season with 5 wickets in 5 matches playing for Mumbai Indians.
Keeper: Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan
Batters: Travis Head, Yashasvi Jaiswal
All-rounders: Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Nitish Rana
Bowlers: Mohammad Shami, Pat Cummins, Sandeep Sharma
Keeper: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan
Batters: Travis Head, Yashasvi Jaiswal
All-rounders: Wanindu Hasaranga, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Rana
Bowlers: Mohammad Shami, Pat Cummins, Jofra Archer, Sandeep Sharma
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