Hyderabad, March 22 Sunrisers Hyderabad, last season’s IPL runners-up, will look to kick-start their campaign on a strong note when they take on Rajasthan Royals in their opening match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Armed with a destructive batting line-up and an experienced bowling attack, Sunrisers head into the clash as clear favourites, especially on a batting-friendly surface that could witness a high-scoring contest.
The Hyderabad franchise boasts some of the most explosive batters in world cricket, with Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaasen forming a formidable top order.
With their reputation for setting massive totals, Sunrisers remain one of the few teams capable of breaching the elusive 300-run mark in T20 cricket.
Their dominance last season saw them post 250-plus totals on three occasions, including a record 287 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and 277 against Mumbai Indians.
A key boost for Sunrisers is the return of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy from injury, further strengthening their already potent line-up. Abhishek Sharma, in particular, has been in sensational form, having smashed 135 off just 54 balls against England in a recent T20I.
With Rajasthan Royals lacking depth in their bowling attack, barring the presence of England pacer Jofra Archer, the Sunrisers will be eyeing another mammoth total if they bat first.
The bowling unit, led by captain Pat Cummins and veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, ensures that Sunrisers remain a well-balanced side. The presence of experienced spinner Adam Zampa adds further variety to their attack, giving them an edge over Rajasthan’s relatively inexperienced squad.
The Royals, meanwhile, face an early setback with skipper Sanju Samson nursing a finger injury.
While Samson can still bat with protection, he won’t be able to field or keep wickets, meaning Rajasthan will be forced to make tactical adjustments. Young batter Riyan Parag will lead the team in the interim for the first three matches.
Rajasthan’s batting looks slightly weaker following the release of Jos Buttler, though they still have quality players in Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer, and Dhruv Jurel.
However, with Sunrisers' recent dominance over them—having beaten them twice last season, including a crucial Qualifier 2 victory—Rajasthan will need a special performance to turn the tables.
Squads:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, Sachin Baby, Mohammed Shami, Adam Zampa, Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Chahar, Eshan Malinga, Harshal Patel, Kamindu Mendis, Wiaan Mulder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Atharva Taide, Brydon Carse, Simarjeet Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari.
Rajasthan Royals: Riyan Parag (c), Sanju Samson, Shubham Dubey, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Rana, Kunal Singh Rathore, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Ashok Sharma, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash Madhwal, Kwena Maphaka, Sandeep Sharma, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh.
When: Sunday, Match 23
Where: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Broadcast: The match will be televised live on the Star Sports Network.
Streaming: The match will be live streamed on JioHotstar
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