Sunrisers Hyderabad are the favourites to emerge as winners in their next IPL 2026 contest against Rajasthan Royals, although they are playing an away game. The last time the two sides met, SRH handed a 57-run thrashing to RR in Hyderabad, marking the latter’s first loss of the tournament. SRH will be boosted by the return of regular skipper Pat Cummins and their pacers are likely to be favoured more as the surface at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur in expected to provide swing and movement.
But, make no mistake, RR cannot be taken lightly. Their frightening opening combo in the form of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal, coupled with the lethal bowling duo of Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma, will pose as a big challenge for even a unit as formidable as SRH. A mouth-watering contest, which could potentially go down the wire, awaits the fans.
RR vs SRH details
- Match: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Match 36, IPL 2026
- Date: April 25, 2026 (Saturday)
- Time: 7:30 PM IST
- Venue: Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Sawai Mansingh Stadium Pitch Report
The Jaipur deck is traditionally a balanced surface. However, being the first game of the season at this venue, the pitch is expected to be fresh with good pace and bounce. Pat Cummins and Jofra Archer will likely find movement early on. As the game progresses, it may slow down slightly, but the short boundaries often lead to high-scoring encounters. Chasing is generally preferred due to the potential dew factor in the 2nd innings.
RR vs SRH Predicted Playing XIs
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Aniket Verma, Salil Arora, Pat Cummins (c), Shivang Kumar, Eshan Malinga, Sakib Hussain
Impact Player: Praful Hinge / Harsh Dubey
Rajasthan Royals: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma.
Impact Player: Sandeep Sharma
RR vs SRH head-to-head records
- Matches Played: 22
- SRH Won: 9
- RR Won: 13
What happened when SRH & RR last met?
SRH defeated RR by 57 runs on April 13 when the two sides last locked horns in Hyderabad. Praful Hinge was adjudged the Player of the Match for his 4/34 spell. In fact, it was the very match in which the pacer made his IPL debut and became the first fast-bowler to pick 3 wickets in his very first over in the history of the tournament.
RR vs SRH Match Prediction: Who will win?
The RR vs SRH contest is a battle of momentum vs consistency. SRH is currently the most explosive batting unit in the tournament, spearheaded by the “Travishek” duo. The return of regular captain Pat Cummins from his workload management break provides a massive psychological and tactical boost to the Hyderabad camp. RR’s bowling attack, led by a resurgent Jofra Archer and the spin wizardry of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravi Bishnoi, will be the ultimate test for SRH’s hitters.
Prediction: While RR has the home advantage, Sunrisers Hyderabad look more balanced with the return of Cummins and the red-hot form of Abhishek Sharma. SRH are predicted to win what could be a close encounter.
