SRH vs RR IPL 2025: Riyan Parag leads Rajasthan Royals in a challenging season opener

The Rajasthan Royals are set to kick off their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign with a high-stakes clash against last year’s finalists, Sunrisers Hyderabad. The match will take place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on March 23 at 3:30 PM IST and will be available for live streaming and telecast.

Riyan Parag: The Royals’ Youngest Captain

Riyan Parag is set to make history as Rajasthan Royals’ youngest captain and the fifth-youngest in IPL history. The 23-year-old will lead the team for the first three matches while regular skipper Sanju Samson continues his recovery from injury. Though Samson is not cleared to keep wickets or field, he remains available as a specialist batter.

On the other side, SRH will be led by Australia’s World Cup-winning captain, Pat Cummins, adding an extra layer of challenge for Parag and his squad.

A Fresh Start for Both Teams

Both SRH and RR have undergone significant changes following the mega auction before IPL 2025. The two teams will be eager to start their campaigns with a victory. However, memories of their last face-off in IPL 2024 remain fresh—RR fell short by 36 runs in Qualifier 2, which ended their hopes of making it to the final.

SRH, despite reaching the IPL 2024 final, were ultimately defeated by the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Recent Form and Head-to-Head Stats

Rajasthan Royals have struggled in their last five IPL matches, managing just one win, while SRH won three out of their last five games. Historically, the two teams have faced each other 20 times, with SRH leading the head-to-head tally 11-9.

Players to Watch

Jofra Archer: Just two wickets away from reaching 50 IPL wickets.

Yashasvi Jaiswal: Needs 22 more runs to complete 3,000 T20 runs.

Sanju Samson: Closing in on multiple milestones—just 66 runs away from 4,000 T20 runs for RR and 81 runs away from 4,500 IPL runs.

Shimron Hetmyer & Ishan Kishan: Both are nearing the 5,000-run mark in T20s.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi: At just 13 years old, he is the youngest-ever IPL contract holder and could make his debut under the mentorship of Rahul Dravid.

Pitch and Venue Insights

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has historically favored batters, with an average first innings score of 191. The highest total recorded at the venue was 277/3 by SRH against Mumbai Indians in 2024. The best bowling performance remains Alzarri Joseph’s 6/12 for MI against SRH in 2019.

Where to Watch

Fans can catch the SRH vs RR IPL 2025 match live on the Star Sports Network and Network 18 TV channels. Live streaming will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.

With fresh squads, a new captain for RR, and a history of thrilling encounters, this season opener promises to be an exciting contest.