 "Major takeaways from SRH vs RR: How Kishan has justified SRH’s strategy and what Royals’ bowlers must change")
Rajasthan Royals (RR) suffered a 44-run defeat in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday. However, the margin of defeat doesn’t fully capture the intensity of the game — RR managed to post a massive 242 while chasing, yet still fell short by a significant margin.
SRH, batting first at their home ground, the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, piled up a staggering 286, making it a nightmare for the bowlers but an absolute spectacle for the fans.
Last season’s runners-up, Sunrisers, once again look like serious contenders, while RR were far from poor with the bat — but their bowling was abysmal. Here, we break down three major takeaways from the match.
Ishan Kishan proves to be perfect fit for Hyderabad
A century in just 45 balls and a match-winning knock of 106\* off just 47 balls , including 11 fours and six sixes — Kishan’s debut innings for Sunrisers was everything he and the franchise had hoped for. This wasn’t just about a big score; it was about the sheer dominance with which he scored those runs and how he terrorised the bowlers.
It was a statement of intent — Kishan is the perfect fit for Sunrisers, a team that has embraced an ultra-aggressive batting approach since last season and spent Rs 11.4 crore for the Jahrkahnd player who has not been in BCCI’s good books lately.
It was also a reminder of his capabilities. Not long ago, Kishan was an all-format player for India, yet he now finds himself without a central contract.
In that respect, things may soon change for the better. The IPL has often served as a fast track back to the Indian team — if such a shortcut exists.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSunrisers look primed to break 300-run barrier
Is 300 possible in a single IPL innings? It certainly seems within reach, especially if the match is played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, where Sunrisers Hyderabad will have plenty of opportunities to bat. Their total of 286 against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday was the second-highest in IPL history — just one run short of their own record of 287.
In fact, Sunrisers hold four of the top five team scores in IPL history, all of which have come since 2024. They are also the only T20 team in the world to have scored four 250+ totals in an innings.
If you’re placing a bet on which team will be the first to breach the 300-run mark in T20 cricket, SRH would be the safest choice.
Rajasthan Royals bowlers need serious course correction
RR captain Riyan Parag did not shy away from putting the blame on his bowlers and their lack of execution as SRH made 286/6. “Credit to SRH, but we could’ve executed better. We’ll sit down and chat about how we could do better. I feel collectively, we took the decision to bowl, it was the right decision, we were neither here nor there with the ball, could’ve done better,” Parag said at the post-match presentation .
The data backs Parag’s criticism of his bowlers. As per a report in Cricbuzz, on a batting-friendly track in Hyderabad, RR pacers bowled short on 39.56% of deliveries while 38.46% of deliveries were pitched in the slot (half-volley or length).
Unless this execution improves, Rajasthan batters will be forced to chase big totals in most of matches.
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