IPL 2025 got off to a flying start as on Friday, March 23, 2025 the second match of the tournament SRH vs RR IPL 2025 High-Voltage Thriller took place at Sumanth Stadium, Hyderabad. In a face-off of IPL big setups, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had an encounter with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a game filled with stellar innings, prodigious comebacks and match-deciding moments that kept the fans biting their nails.
SRH chased down their mammoth score of 286/6, where RR could only muster 242/6, won by 44 runs. So, run your eye over the runs, wickets and match-defining moments that made this match what it was.
Fiery Batting from SRH: Tons of Runs
Powerplay
Has SRH been defying gameplay in SRH vs RR High-Voltage Thriller IPL 2024 with explosive batting. RR skipper Riyan Parag lost the toss but opted to bowl first- which he may have regretted as the innings unfolded. The pitch at Hyderabad, if Friday was any indication, is one that is heavily biased towards batsmen, and it allowed SRH’s Mexican pack-of-cards batting order to have a field-day.
Travis Head (67 runs off 31 balls)Head took the attack to RR’s bowling line-up as the innings was set by the opener. He blasted 67 runs from just 31 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes at 216.12 strike-rate.
Head’s assault began as soon as the first over, clattered off the opening bowler Jofra Archer, a 23-run barrage confined to four fours and a mighty six. This onslaught allowed the SRH side to have a flying start in the powerplay, at a score of 94/1 in the sixth over—the one of the highest powerplay totals in IPL history.
Abhishek Sharma (24 off 11): Abhishek Sharma upheld his half of “Travishek” with a spate of big shots alongside Head. Attacking Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abhishek hit three boundaries in a row in the second over, scoring 24 of 11 balls, with 5 fours.
But he could not last long and was out in the third over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana and caught by Yashasvi Jaiswal at point. While Abhishek did not hang around long, his cameo ensured SRH remained competitive in the game.
Middle Order
Ishan Kishan (106 off 47)As for SRH’s new find, Ishan Kishan, he garnered every bit of the praise when he scored a sublime unbeaten 106 off 47 balls on his debut for the franchise. Kishan, who batted in the No. 3 position, hit 11 fours and 6 sixes at a breathless strike rate of 225.53 to be named the Player of the Match.
He started his innings with modern-day boundaries and graduated to an old-fashioned innings when he attacked Jofra Archer and hit back-to-back sixes to bring up his fifty in 25 balls.
It was Kishan’s first hundred in the IPL, and he made it off only 45 balls, and was greeted with a standing ovation from the Hyderabad crowd. His unbeaten knock ensured SRH stay on course for a big score.
Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 off 15)Local boy Nitish Reddy was at his innocent with a delightful 30 off 15 for the side (2 fours, 2 sixes) Coming in after Head’s departure, Reddy did not hang about, clattering Archer and Theekshana at a strike rate of 200. Kishan and he built on from there, adding a partnership before Tushar Deshpande trapped him in the 17th over.
Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14):South African Heinrich Klaasen was on fire, tearing apart the field with a blistering 34 runs from 14 deliveries with 3 fours and 2 sixes. A 95-m six off Theekshana and three fours off Archer in his 18th over kept SRH near the 300-run mark. Klaasen was dismissed by Deshpande, caught by Parag at long-on, but not before the total was well beyond reach.
Finishing
Aniket Verma 7 (3), Abhinav Manohar 0 (1):Verma on debut smote a six off his second ball, but fell cheaply; as did Manohar, to Deshpande, who took both of them in the final over. These late hick-ups not with standing, SRH ended up at 286/6 — the second highest ever score in IPL by then — one short of their own 287 set in 2024.
RR’s Bowling Attack: Struggling to Get Breaking Partnerships
Except for Tushar Deshpande, RR’s bowlers had a miserable day as they were taken to the cleaners, with Deshpande being the only one to emerge with heads up. SRH vs RR IPL 2025 High-Voltage Thriller had a freebie as the first inning pitch was flat and the bowlers were wayward and the decision to bowl first boomeranged
Tushar Deshpande (3/49): The best RR bowler today with 3 wickets in 4 overs. Michael Bracewell in the death overs blemished an otherwise brilliant showing with the bat as he quickly accounted for Travis Head (caught at cover), Nitish Reddy and Aniket Verma, as well as Abhinav Manohar. He took SRH under 300 with the late strikes
Maheesh Theekshana (2/52): The Sri Lankan spinner got one in early, in the third over and as he got rid of Abhishek Sharma, and he then followed it up with the wicket of Heinrich Klaasen. But was belted once Kishan and Head attacked him, finishing up with 2/52.
Jofra Archer (4-0-76-0): A nightmare returns to IPL for Archer — this time over time, for 76 runs in 4 overs — the most expensive 4 overs anyone has ever bowled in ipl. His first over leaked 23, and his torment was deepened when Kishan hit three sixes in the 15th and cleared the long-off fence. Not a single one of those dot balls all day came from Archer.
Fazalhaq Farooqi (0/47) and Sandeep Sharma (0/62):Both pacers failed to hit the straps, leaking runs and going without a wicket. The early swing that Farooqi had also faded, while Sandeep could offer no respite from the onslaught.
RR’s Chase: So Close But So Far
With the opposition setting them 287in SRH vs RR High-Voltage Thriller, chasing down the carrot was always going to be mammoth task, and RR perished early in the chase before a spirited fightback kept their dreams alive.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (1 off 3): A sluggish start for RR as well, Jaiswal went for 1 and was caught by Abhinav Manohar off the bowling of Simarjeet Singh in the second over.
Riyan Parag (4 off 3): The substitute skipper came out next but fell in the same over to Simarjeet to leave RR at 25/2.
Nitish Rana: 11 off 8 (Pat Cummins): Caught by Cummins at mid-off off a delivery from Mohammed Shami; RR reduced to 38/3 at this stage in the powerplay.
Sanju Samson 66 (31): The specialist batsman, who batted without the keeping and fielding roles due to being injured, steered RR’s recovery with a torrid 66 (31 balls, 6 fours, 4 sixes).
Troubled Hearts Although his 28 off 10 balls up front, which included three boundaries off Simarjeet, had Samson brought up his half-century with a single off Harshal Patel and hit a six off him before skying a shot to Heinrich Klaasen, ending a 111-run stand with Dhruv Jurel.
Dhruv Jurel (70 off 36):Jurel targeted a gem of a knock, hitting 70 off 36 balls (5 fours, 5 sixes) On 28 balls he made his fifty and Simarjeet sent 3 sixes flying in as many balls in 13th that kept RR chase on. But Adam Zampa dismissed him — Kishan catching at deep mid-wicket — and RR’s fate was sealed.
Shimron Hetmyer (42 of 23) and Shubham Dubey (34 of 15):The pair added 80 of 34 to late charge, all in a hurry. Hetmyer settled for some boundaries to pull his 42 down and Dubey, off Kohli with three sixes (22 runs) in an 18th over off Cummins, made the margin lower but Harshal Patel struck down Hetmyer with the final over to leave RR at 242/6.
SRH’s Bowling: Wickets At The Right Time
SRH vs RR High-Voltage Thriller had a great bowling performance from SRH
Simarjeet Singh (2/47): The debutant got rid of Jaiswal and Parag in his very first over to hurt RR early.
Harshal Patel (2/34): Patel was key at the death, dismissing Samson first and then Hetmyer to clinch the game.
Mohammed Shami (1/38): Shami dismissed Rana, but has spell was disrupted as he had a minor injury scare.
Adam Zampa (1/36)– Came in as an Impact Sub and got the key scalp of Jurel, an important one in the chase.
Key Moments
Key moments in SRH vs RR High-Voltage Thriller are
Head’s 23-run over off Archer: This over set the tone for the SRH dominance in the powerplay.
Kishan ton: A ruthless 45 ball ton to end RR dreams and all-out intent
Simarjeet’s Double Strike Jaiswal and Parag’s wickets in the second over put RR on the back foot.
Samson-Jurel partnership: A hundred and eleven run partnership which momentarily resuscitated RR’s chase.
Patel’s wicket in the last over sealed SRH’s victory.