We haven’t seen all ten teams perform at the IPL 2025 yet and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have already created history. They have made a habit of notching up 250 for fun and it doesn’t seem to startle most people. But that has been their forte and the Orange army has kickstarted IPL 2025 with a huge win (44 runs) over the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Ishan Kishan stole the show in the first innings, hammering his maiden century, that too, on his SRH debut. As a result, SRH claimed 286 runs, the second-highest total ever!
Let us look at all the major players and how they featured in the high-octane SRH vs RR clash at Uppal.
#1 Ishan Kishan – 10/10
Ishan Kishan was the star of the show, blasting his way to a century off just 47 balls. His incredible innings was the catalyst for SRH’s whopping total of 286/6, leaving Rajasthan Royals with a seriously tough ask. One of the most challenging tasks for a batter is to continue batting in a blistering manner for a regular interval. But Kishan did the job emphatically. The southpaw not only hammered the RR bowlers but kept on going till the last over. His innings was so easy on the eye that it led the entire Uppal stadium into a meltdown. He tore apart the bowling attack, getting to his maiden IPL century in just a matter of 45 balls.
#2 Travis Head – 9/10
Travis Head has begun IPL 2025 where he left off last year, scoring a 21-ball fifty for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan Royals. This blistering start follows his impressive form last year, where he scored three half-centuries in under 20 balls. Head’s explosive batting has set the tone for SRH’s campaign. Head first sent Jofra Archer on a leather hunt before finally getting out against Tushar Deshpande.
#3 Jofra Archer – 0.5/10
Jofra Archer’s IPL 2025 debut was a nightmare, courtesy of the Sunrisers Hyderabad batters who took him to the cleaners. Travis Head welcomed him to the tournament with a brutal 22-run onslaught in his very first over. Archer’s struggles continued throughout his spell, with Nitish Reddy also taking him for boundaries. The English pacer’s inability to adjust his length and pace was exposed, and he was punished accordingly. He now holds the record for bowling the most expensive spell in IPL history!
#4 Riyan Parag – 2/10
All eyes were on Riyan Parag, who made his IPL captaincy debut as Sanju Samson played as an Impact Sub. However, Parag ended up on the wrong side. First, he looked clueless on the pitch when the SRH batters were running riot, then he had a flop show with the bat too. Parag splashed a no-look four on his first delivery but then was dismissed by Simarjeet Singh with a hit-the-deck delivery.
#5 Sanju Samson – 8/10
No doubt Sanju Samson looked in exceptional touch despite suffering from a finger surgery recently, but RR needed him to strike above 200. However, the regular RR captain made 66 off 37, striking at a rate of 178.38. When you are chasing close to 300, you need to score 2.5 runs per ball. While Samson did bat superbly, he played 12 dot balls in his first 36 balls. Make it 13 if you include his dismissal ball as well. In front of Samson, Dhruv Jurel was hitting like a diamond. But kudos to RR fans, having Samson among runs is a good sign going ahead this season.
#6 Dhruv Jurel – 9.5/10
Why was Dhruv Jurel retained at Rs 14 crore? Well, today we had the answer. Apart from being a terrific keeper, Jurel showed his immense potential as a T20 batter, making his India prospects a world of good. Some of his shots were extremely emphatic to watch! Irrespective of it was Cummins or Harshal Patel, Jurel spared none. He hit 70 off 35, hammering 5 fours and six lusty blows.
