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Hundred from Ishan Kishan (106 not out) and fifty from Travis Head (67) went hard after the power-play to set a good total for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as they beat Rajasthan Royals by 44 runs.
New Delhi: Hundred from Ishan Kishan (106 not out) and fifty from Travis Head (67) went hard after the power-play to set a good total for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) as they beat Rajasthan Royals by 44 runs in the second game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad here on Sunday.
After Travis Head ignited a strong start with 67 off 31 balls, sharing a 94-run opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (106* off 47 balls) smashed a rapid 45-ball century in his debut for the new franchise, as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 286/6, their second-highest total ever in IPL history.
However, Rajasthan Royals were never really in the chase, finishing with 242/6 in their 20 overs, though their effort will help their net run rate. On a hot day in Hyderabad, Royals’ inexperienced captain Riyan Parag made a questionable decision by opting to bowl on the flattest pitch seen in IPL, a choice that might haunt them later in the tournament.
In a contest between three flamboyant keeper-batsmen, even though two of them didn’t keep wicket, Samson (66 off 37 balls) and Jurel (70 off 35 balls) made the most of the batting-friendly pitch, striking fear into SRH supporters with a 111-run partnership off just 9.5 overs.
While Sunrisers were always likely to win the high-scoring game, the momentum shifted decisively during two key overs – the 11th bowled by Adam Zampa (1/48 in 4 overs) and the 12th from skipper Pat Cummins (0/60 in 4 overs), which combined for only seven runs.
Pacer Harshal Patel (2/34 in 4 overs) also deserves a mention for his quiet brilliance at the death. The turning point came in the number of dot balls faced by each side. Royals faced just 25 dot balls during SRH’s innings, whereas Cummins’ bowlers managed 15 more.
The pressure built from those two overs. Although Jurel hit three sixes off Simrajeet Singh (2/46 in 3 overs) in the 13th over, the required run rate surged. Harshal, always a trusted bowler for a change in tempo, removed Samson, and within a few more deliveries, Jurel was dismissed while trying to slog Zampa, effectively ending the contest.
Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23 balls) and Shubham Dubey (34* off 11 balls) battled hard, but the target was just too high. The outcome was inevitable as Head dismantled the Royals’ attack early, followed by Kishan, who dominated their bowlers, helping SRH to an imposing total.
Head and Kishan, with Kishan recording his first IPL century, struck 20 fours and 9 sixes between them. SRH resumed their form from last season, and although they nearly matched the highest IPL total (287/3), two wickets fell in the final over.
Jofra Archer, who went wicketless for 76 runs in 4 overs, recorded the worst bowling figures in IPL history. The dominance of Head early on and Kishan later overshadowed the efforts of Abhishek Sharma (24 off 11 balls) and Nitish Reddy (30 off 15 balls), who were both overshadowed.
Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14 balls) capitalized on the situation, hitting out at the clueless Royals bowlers in the final stages. Kishan, once a core player for Mumbai Indians, had a difficult 2024, losing his central contract after skipping domestic cricket for the lucrative league, and MI decided not to retain him.
The small Patna man came back with renewed determination, making a strong impact in his debut for the new side. With seven matches on such a pitch, Kishan will surely make a case for a national team return, despite the T20 squad already being settled.
The pitch offered little assistance to bowlers, and with barely any margin for error, the ball kept flying over the boundaries with alarming regularity. Archer, Royals’ most seasoned bowler, appeared underprepared as Head took him apart, smashing 23 off his first over. Archer couldn’t recover after that.
Head dispatched him with a pull shot off his hips, while Kishan sent him over extra cover and scooped him over the keeper for similar results. If Archer’s pace became his disadvantage, the lack of pace from Fazalhaq Farooqi (0/49 in 3 overs) and Sandeep Sharma (1/51 in 4 overs) proved to be an even bigger concern.
Maheesh Theekshana (2/52 in 4 overs), a mystery spinner, learned the hard way that not every ground is like Chepauk, as he struggled with his length. The only bowler who had a decent return was Tushar Deshpande (3/44 in 4 overs), who ended the innings with some respectability.
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