IPL 2025: Impact player Sanju Samson, ?14 crore man Dhruv Jurel fight back, but RR suffer 44-run defeat to SRH
In Sunday's first double-header clash, SRH wasted no time in asserting their dominance, posting a mammoth 286 on the board. In response, RR struggled to keep their wickets intact, with only the lower order putting up a fight¡ªalbeit in vain.
Not the start Rajasthan Royals (RR) were hoping for, as they lost their opening Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 game to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. With this 44-run victory, SRH have now won each of their last four head-to-head encounters against RR. At home, SRH have dominated, winning five of their six clashes against RR.
In Sunday's first double-header clash, SRH wasted no time in asserting their dominance, posting a mammoth 286 on the board. In response, RR struggled to keep their wickets intact, with only the lower order putting up a fight¡ªalbeit in vain. Despite the loss, RR managed to score 242 runs, their highest team total in IPL history, surpassing their previous record of 226 against PBKS in Sharjah (2020).
An epic run-fest goes the way of @SunRisers ?
¡ª IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2025
The Pat Cummins-led side registers a 4??4??-run win over Rajasthan Royals ?
Scorecard ? https://t.co/ltVZAvInEG#TATAIPL | #SRHvRR pic.twitter.com/kjCtGW8NdV
RR batters falter
SRH kicked off their campaign in commanding fashion. Abhishek Sharma (24 off 11) set the tone early, while his partner-in-crime Travis Head (67 off 31) joined the onslaught. Making his SRH debut, Ishan Kishan smashed a sensational century, while Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 off 15) and Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14) made valuable contributions.
In reply, RR had no choice but to go on the offensive, but it backfired. Simarjeet Singh struck early, dismissing Yashasvi Jaiswal (1 off 5) and Riyan Parag (4 off 2) in his first over. His new-ball partner, Mohammed Shami, then removed Nitish Rana (11 off 8), leaving RR reeling with three wickets down in the powerplay.
At that point, RR¡¯s Impact Player Sanju Samson joined forces with Dhruv Jurel¡ªwhose ?14 crore retention had raised eyebrows¡ªto stage a fightback. The duo stitched together a brilliant century partnership, with both registering fifties.
?? ???? ????? ???? ?
¡ª IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2025
Dhruv Jurel is setting the mood for this chase with these sixes ?
Updates ?? https://t.co/ltVZAvInEG#TATAIPL | #SRHvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/KNOCfTnjjv
However, their resistance was short-lived as they were dismissed in quick succession. Despite that, Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23) and Shubham Dubey (34 off 11) showcased their hitting prowess to reduce the margin of defeat.
Teams:
Rajasthan Royals (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi Rajasthan Royals
Impact Subs: Sanju Samson, Kunal Singh Rathore, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka
Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins(c), Simarjeet Singh, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami
Sunrisers Hyderabad Impact Subs: Sachin Baby, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Adam Zampa, Wiaan Mulder
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Karen Noronha is a versatile journalist with a passion for sports and K-pop. With over 7 years of experience at publications like IBTimes UK, DNA, and OTTPlay/DesiMartini, she seamlessly transitions between covering global athletic events and the dynamic world of K-pop.
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