Top player battles to watch out for in the SRH vs RR IPL 2025 match

The runners-up in IPL 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad, looked short of nothing until they fell short of the title itself in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders. However, a fumble in the final didn't push the SRH management to tweak their core. Identifying their strengths well ahead of IPL 2025, Hyderabad used their retention slabs to keep Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Heinrich Klaasen in the squad. Moreover, making subtle moves in the IPL 2025 mega auction with the limited purse of ₹45 crore, SRH added to their firepower as they claimed the likes of Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Shami, and Harshal Patel.

Key player battles to watch out for in the SRH vs RR IPL 2025 match

Sunrisers Hyderabad will open their IPL 2025 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, March 23. The first fixture of the day, which hosts a double-header, will put the IPL 2024 runners-up against the IPL 2022 runners-up. While SRH retained most of their squad to keep the core unchanged, Rajasthan comes with significant changes. Jos Buttler, Yuzvendra Chahal, Trent Boult, and Ravichandran Ashwin have all exited the RR camp. The side retained their captain, Sanju Samson, along with Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma ahead of IPL 2025. In the upcoming season, both teams will be looking to win their second title.

Abhishek Sharma vs Jofra Archer

With Archer injured for the major part of the last few IPL seasons, the English pacer has not faced Abhishek in the league yet. However, Abhishek Sharma, who tracked his way into the Indian cricket team after a scintillating show in IPL 2024, recently showcased his brilliance against Archer. The opener took a special liking to Jofra Archer in the India vs England T20I series earlier this year. The Indian batter smashed 61 runs in the 33 balls Archer bowled at him during the five-match series. Archer never managed to dismiss Abhishek across the series, while the batter bashed the pacer at a strike rate of 184.8, scoring seven fours and four sixes against the England pacer. Now, with Jofra Archer perched in the Rajasthan Royals lineup, it will be interesting to see if he redeems himself against the SRH opener.

Ishan Kishan vs Sandeep Sharma

Sandeep Sharma redeemed his standing in Indian cricket with his stint at Rajasthan. The seamer earned a retention slab in RR after picking up 13 wickets last season. Ishan Kishan, meanwhile, joined SRH in the IPL 2025 mega auction after Mumbai Indians didn't retain the wicketkeeper-batter. While MI tried to reclaim their prospect in the auction, SRH put ₹11.25 crore on the table to win the bid. Now, the Rajasthan pacer has dismissed Kishan thrice in 33 balls. With Kishan managing just 38 runs in their match-ups, the batter averages a meager 12.7 against Sandeep Sharma. While Kishan will be in new threads for IPL 2025, Sandeep will be a key prospect for Rajasthan to counter the overly attacking SRH lineup.

Sanju Samson vs Harshal Patel

Rajasthan Royals confirmed that their skipper would play solely as a batter for the first three matches in IPL 2025. Meanwhile, Riyan Parag will lead the team during those fixtures. As per the stats, Samson could be significantly troubled by Harshal Patel. The Purple Cap winner of IPL 2024 for Punjab Kings, Patel, joined SRH in the IPL 2025 mega auction. The seamer has dismissed Samson twice in the league. In the 19 balls Samson has faced against Harshal, the RR skipper has managed just 18 runs, averaging nine against the seamer.