Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be competing in their first IPL 2026 game in Jaipur as they face SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a showdown at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on April 25, Saturday. RR’s previous home games were in Guwahati.
This will be the teams’ second clash of the season. SRH broke RR’s four-match winning streak with a commanding 57-run victory at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Hyderabad ended up on 216/6 after being asked to bat first. Captain Ishan Kishan, who was playing his first game for SRH, blasted 91 runs. Rajasthan then crumpled for 159, with debutant bowlers Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain taking four wickets apiece.
Rajasthan have won five of the seven games and are third in the standings. Hyderabad have four wins out of seven matches and are fourth.
On the other hand, SRH’s regular captain, Pat Cummins, has missed the last few matches due to a back injury but will probably return for the clash. The, all-time record is 13-9 in favour of Hyderabad.
In anticipation of the game, here are three intriguing player matchups to watch out for.
3. Jofra Archer (RR) vs Abhishek Sharma (SRH)
Jofra Archer has been impressive with the new ball this season, and RR will be counting on him to get rid of the dangerous Abhishek Sharma early. The English pacer has already picked up seven wickets in the powerplay, the joint-highest tally alongside Kagiso Rabada in IPL 2026.
That said, Abhishek has enjoyed this matchup in the past. The left-hander has scored 62 runs off 35 balls against Archer at a strike rate of 177.14 and has been dismissed only once. He heads into this game in red-hot form after smashing an unbeaten 135 off 68 balls against Delhi Capitals, taking his tally to 323 runs in seven innings at a stunning strike rate of 215.33.
2. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (RR) vs Eshan Malinga (SRH)
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been one of the breakout stars this season, continuing to attack right from the powerplay. The young batter has scored 254 runs in seven innings at a blistering strike rate of 220.86.
SRH will be keen to remove him early, given his ability to change the game quickly. Eshan Malinga could be their go-to option in this battle. The Sri Lankan pacer has been among the top performers this season, picking up 12 wickets in seven matches with an economy rate of 9.43. His duel with Suryavanshi could play a key role in shaping the powerplay.
1. Ravi Bishnoi (RR) vs Ishan Kishan (SRH)
Ishan Kishan has been in fine touch, scoring 238 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 188.88, including two half-centuries. One of those was a blistering 91 off 44 balls against RR earlier this season.
RR captain Riyan Parag will look to Ravi Bishnoi to counter Kishan. The leg-spinner has had success against him, dismissing him four times in nine innings. Kishan’s strike rate against Bishnoi is a modest 104.34, with just 48 runs off 46 balls.
Bishnoi himself has been in excellent form, taking 11 wickets in seven matches at an economy of 9.26, making this contest one of the most intriguing battles in the game.
