Travis Head and Ishan Kishan’s Power-Hitting Seals 44-Run Victory Over Rajasthan Royals- IPL

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s latest recruit Ishan Kishan’s century and Travis Head’s half-century respectively helped the previous edition’s Indian Premier League runners-up secure a commanding 44-run victory against Rajasthan Royals in their tournament opener at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

After being put in to bat, SRH openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma built a 45-run partnership for the second wicket, with Abhishek (24 off 11 balls, including five fours) and Head setting the tone early. Kishan, making his SRH debut, joined Head after the first wicket, and both batters took the bowlers apart.

Travis Head (67 off 31 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) and Kishan accelerated the scoring rate. Cameos from Nitish Kumar Reddy (30 off 15 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Heinrich Klaasen (34 off 14 balls, with five fours and a six) provided solid support to Ishan, who remained unbeaten on 106* off 47 balls, smashing 11 fours and six sixes, helping SRH post a massive total of 286 runs.

Ishan, who was a key player for the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians in recent years, had a tough 2024 as he lost his central contract for prioritizing the cash-rich league over domestic cricket, and MI also decided not to retain him.

On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals (RR) struggled to get off to a strong start as their star opener Yashasvi Jaiswal departed after scoring just five runs. Following Jaiswal’s dismissal, stand-in captain Riyan Parag joined Sanju Samson in the chase, but Simarjeet Singh struck in the second over to remove Parag. Samson, who opened alongside Jaiswal played a solid knock of 66 runs, while wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel smashed a quickfire 70 off 35 balls before Adam Zampa dismissed him in the 14.2 over. Despite their efforts, RR managed to post 242/6 in their 20 overs.

IPL 2025 Points Table: After SRH vs RR Match