Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) kicked off IPL 2025 with a commanding 44-run victory over Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Match 2 on March 23, 2025, at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

SRH’s batting fireworks lit up the night, amassing 286/6—the second-highest IPL total ever—led by Ishan Kishan’s unbeaten 106 off 47 balls (11 fours, 6 sixes, SR 225.5).

Travis Head blazed 67 off 31 (9 fours, 3 sixes), while Heinrich Klaasen smashed 34 off 14. Abhishek Sharma (24 off 11) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 off 15) kept the momentum alive. RR’s Tushar Deshpande (3/44) and Maheesh Theekshana (2/52) tried to stem the flow, but Jofra Archer’s 0/76 became the IPL’s costliest spell.

RR’s chase of 287 faltered early, with Simarjeet Singh (2/46) and Mohammad Shami (1/33) removing Yashasvi Jaiswal (1), Riyan Parag (4), and Nitish Rana (11) within five overs. Sanju Samson (66 off 37, 7 fours, 4 sixes) and Dhruv Jurel (70 off 35, 5 fours, 6 sixes) fought back with a 111-run stand, raising hopes.

But Harshal Patel (2/34) and Adam Zampa (1/48) struck in quick succession, dismissing both. Late cameos from Shimron Hetmyer (42 off 23) and Shubham Dubey (34 off 11) weren’t enough, as RR ended at 242/6. SRH’s explosive batting and timely bowling showcased their dominance, signaling a strong start to their IPL 2025 campaign.